The sole survivor of the Air India crash that claimed the lives of more than 270 people, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was seen carrying his brother’s coffin at the funeral held in Gujarat, India. Ajay tragically lost his life in the disaster last Thursday, alongside 240 other people on the doomed AI171 flight.
Vishwash, who had plasters on his face and walked with a limp, was part of the funeral procession held days after the catastrophe, which also claimed the lives of at least 38 people on the ground. Images from the funeral depict Vishwash among a group of people carrying a coffin past palm trees. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.17pm local time last Thursday, but crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad seconds later.
The aircraft, destined for London Gatwick, exploded into a fireball, with Vishwash miraculously escaping the wreckage moments before it was consumed by flames.
The jet collided with the hostel of BJ Medical College, sending debris, smoke and fire hundreds of feet into the air. Officials are currently investigating the cause of the deadly incident, reports the Daily Star.
Air India confirmed that 53 British nationals were on the ill-fated flight. Startling photographs from the scene show medical staff assessing the horrific aftermath, while rescue teams report that numerous individuals are still entrapped within.
Stark images also showed the aircraft’s landing gear lodged in the wall of the facility, as documented by reporter Man Aman Singh Chhina.
Dramatic footage revealed by local outlets also shows the aeroplane flying alarmingly low over homes before erupting into flames.
India’s aviation authority shared details about the crew of the aircraft following the tragedy.
Their statement read: “Captain Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8,200 hours of experience. The co-pilot had 1100 hours of flying experience. As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmadabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23.
“It gave a mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC. Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site.”