Narendra Modi takes trip to plane collision location, meets sole survivor
(MENAFN) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday morning to view the site of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash that tragically claimed at least 290 lives a day earlier.
The London-bound flight was carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members, when it went down, killing all but one passenger and causing additional fatalities on the ground when it struck a hostel for doctors.
“The scene of destruction is heartbreaking,” Modi said in a post on X. “I met with officials and teams who are working hard in the aftermath.”
According to Air India, there were 169 Indian, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian citizen on board the aircraft.
Modi also visited Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to meet the sole survivor, 38-year-old British citizen Ramesh Vishwashkumar. Local police explained that Vishwashkumar was sitting close to an emergency exit and was able to jump from the plane. He is currently receiving treatment for his injuries.
“When I stood up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I walked forward and tried to get away. There were wreckage and debris everywhere. Someone came up to me, put me in an ambulance, and rushed me to the hospital,” Vishwashkumar told the Hindustan Times.
Footage from the scene on Thursday show rescue workers retrieving the deceased and injured, many suffering from burns, and taking them to nearby hospitals.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation, although Air Traffic Control in Ahmedabad stated the pilot issued a “Mayday” distress call shortly after takeoff. The incident adds to growing concerns about Boeing’s safety record; the manufacturer previously dealt with two fatal crashes involving its 737 MAX, which resulted in the deaths of 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia and a temporary grounding of the aircraft.
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