Miracle in seat 11A: One passenger survived Air India crash, says Ahmedabad top cop

A survivor from seat 11A has been found alive in the wreckage of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad on Thursday, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed. The passenger has been identified as Ramesh Vishwaskumar Bucharvada, 38. 

"The police found one survivor in seat 11A. One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area," Malik told ANI.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed just minutes after takeoff at around 2:00 PM, plummeting into the residential quarters of doctors at BJ Medical College in the city's Meghaninagar area. The aircraft was carrying 232 passengers and 10 crew members.

The aircraft's pilot had issued a MAYDAY call to Air Traffic Control shortly after takeoff, indicating a full emergency. However, there was no further communication before the aircraft went down.

"The plane was flying very low and it crashed into the residential quarters of doctors of the government-run college,” a local resident, Haresh Shah, told PTI. "There are several five-floor buildings which serve as residential quarters. Many people in those apartments were injured as the buildings also caught fire," he said. 

Another witness said multiple vehicles parked in the premises also caught fire.

The aircraft reportedly lost altitude rapidly and burst into flames on impact. Plumes of thick black smoke were seen rising from the crash site, visible from far across the city. There is no official confirmation yet on the number of casualties, but several residents in the housing complex were reportedly injured.

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, whose 787-8 jet was involved in the crash, issued a statement saying: "We are in contact with Air India regarding flight 171 and stand ready to support them (Air India). Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected."

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu visited the crash site and said rescue operations are ongoing. "At this time, I can only think of the passengers and their families. Many agencies have been engaged in rescue operations,” he said. "We are going to do a fair & thorough investigation, and probe why this incident happened. We still have to find out the numbers. Very sad to know that Vijay Rupani was also there, as were other nationals."