BB Desk
Shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed catastrophically on Thursday afternoon killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The flight was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal who had 8,200 flying hours under his belt and First Officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 hours of flying experience. The 12-year-old aircraft, bound for London Gatwick Airport (LGW), took off from Runway 23 at approximately 1:38 PM.
Just seconds later, Captain Sabharwal issued a ‘Mayday’ call to Air Traffic Control (ATC) and thereafter, the aircraft crashed into the mess area of the BJ Medical College hostel, erupting in flames. This resulted in additional 25 fatalities on ground that included five MBBS students and a postgraduate resident doctor.
However, in a stroke of luck, a lone passenger managed to survive the crash by jumping out of the burning aircraft in time. The passenger identified as Ramesh Vishwashkumar (40), was seated in 11 A, a window seat in the first row of economy class close to an emergency exit. Fortunately, his side of the aircraft did not hit the hostel building unlike the rest of the plane. It landed on the ground giving him the remote chance to escape. Recounting the moment, Ramesh said, “The door broke open due to the impact and I could see some space outside the aircraft. I thought I could escape through that and I did. My left hand was burnt in the fire yet somehow, I continued to walk out of the debris”.
Chronicling the sequence of horror, Ramesh further added, “Everything happened in front of my eyes. After the flight took off, it felt as though it was suspended in midair for five to ten seconds. Then abruptly, green and white lights began to flicker, and the plane crashed into the hostel building. I saw people dying in front of me. I still find it hard to believe that I survived the crash. I thought I was going to die but when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive”. Ramesh is currently being treated at the Ahmedabad civil hospital.
Passenger Javed Ali Syed and his family weren’t that fortunate. Javed, a resident of Kensington, London had come to Mumbai to spend time with his ailing mother who had recently suffered a cardiac arrest and also to celebrate Eid with his loved ones in India. But as fate would have it, Javed decided to go back to London Via Ahmedabad. He had boarded the AI 171 flight with his wife Mariam and two kids Zayn and Amina Ali Syed. Since all the 241 passengers on board perished in the crash. It will be stating the obvious. Meanwhile Javed’s family back in Mumbai is still waiting for answers.
One of the victims of this horrific plane crash is young bride Khushboo Rajpurohit, a resident of Balotra, Rajasthan. Khushboo had married London based physician Dr. Vipul Rajpurohit in January this year and was looking forward to make a new beginning with him. Dr. Vipul had returned to the UK shortly after the wedding while Khushboo stayed back. On 12 June, Khushboo was finally travelling to London to join her husband when the crash claimed her life. Her father, Madan Singh Rajpurohit had escorted her to the airport. Oblivious to the fact that it would be their last final, poignant moment—the two had a picture together. The news of her death has shattered both her parental and marital households sending them into mourning.
Crew Members Roshni Rajendra Songhare, Kongrabailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, Maithili Patil, Saineeta Chakravarti, Lamnunthem Singson and Irfan Samir Shaikh, all in their twenties also lost their lives in the crash. They were full of life and had dreams of a bright, promising future. Little did they know, their journey would come to an abrupt end in this horrific manner. The tragedy has left their families inconsolable and with wounds that will perhaps never heal.
Another victim of the crash, 60 year old Captain Sabharwal was only a few months away from his retirement. He had promised his old and ailing father – ‘he will soon resign from his job and take care of him’. Alas, this promise won’t be kept as the pilot is no more.
Among the confirmed 241 fatalities, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 7 Portuguese and 1 Canadian national including the Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. The bodies have been charred beyond recognition making the identification difficult for the authorities. Coffins are being readied by Air India to enable respectful return of the bodies to their families. Investigations are underway to ascertain the cause of the crash.
