A critical component from Thursday’s tragic air accident in Ahmedabad — the flight data recorder — was secured by investigators on Friday, offering hope for answers after a commercial airliner fell into a densely populated urban area, resulting in the deaths of at least 265 individuals.
The Air India Dreamliner, a Boeing 787-8 en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, barely gained altitude before issuing an emergency signal. Moments later, the aircraft plunged into residential structures after ascending no more than 100 meters.
Of the 242 people aboard, only one man — a British national — lived through the impact. The massive blaze and wreckage left parts of the fuselage embedded in a building housing medical workers near a local hospital.
“I thought it was the end for me, but I came to and realized I had survived,” said Vishwash Kumar Ramesh in an interview from his hospital bed, still recovering from burns and trauma. His survival amid the devastation has been called nothing short of miraculous.
Witnesses recounted that the jet’s front section, including the nose gear, slammed into a student dining facility mid-lunch, adding to the devastation.
Local authorities confirmed the recovery of 265 bodies so far. Deputy Police Chief Kanan Desai indicated that approximately two dozen of the victims were not onboard but rather occupants of the buildings the aircraft struck. The full toll may rise as recovery operations continue and fragmented remains are identified.
Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that the exact number of casualties will only be confirmed following DNA tests, especially since many victims’ relatives reside outside India and will need to submit samples for identification.
The ill-fated flight was carrying passengers of multiple nationalities: 169 Indians, 53 from the UK, seven Portuguese citizens, one Canadian, along with 12 airline staff.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash-affected zone on Friday and later met with the only survivor, offering support and condolences.
Recalling the harrowing moments before the accident, Ramesh said the aircraft’s systems suddenly changed: “It was as if something jammed… then strange green and white lights lit up across the cabin. That’s when I sensed something wasn’t right.”
According to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, the recovered black box — essential for analyzing technical and pilot data — will be central to determining what caused the crash and preventing such tragedies in the future.
