Rhianna Benson
A single passenger has survived a tragic Air India plane crash, that is believed to have killed every other person on board.
News of the collision broke earlier this morning (12 June) that a plane belonging to the airline had been flying to the UK carrying over 240 people, but had crashed shortly after take off.
It had been travelling from Ahmedabad in Western India, and was scheduled to depart at 09:50 UK time, with an arrival time into the UK of 18:25.
It was subsequently revealed that 'the last signal' traffic control officers received from the aircraft 'was at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after take-off', and that it had collided with a 'doctors' hostel' minutes later.
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Of the 242 on board, Air India previously said there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.
Police in India also released an official statement earlier today suggesting there were 'no survivors' on board the plane following the crash.
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"It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash," Commissioner G.S. Malik told the Associated Press, adding that the fact the plane collided with a residential area means 'some locals would have also died'.
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"Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained." Mailk continued.
In a staggering new update, however, Malik has since revealed that a British man sat in seat 11A was found in the wreckage.
"The police found one survivor in seat 11A," he explained.
"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.
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The survivor has since been identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
He has since spoken to the Hindustan Times about the moment the plane went down, claiming to have heard a 'loud noise' around 30 seconds after takeoff.
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"It all happened so quickly," he said, revealing he'd sustained 'impact injuries' on his chest, eyes and feet.
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"When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran," he continued. "There were pieces of the plane all around me.
"Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital."
Ramesh has lived in the UK for over 20 years.
His brother, Ajay, was seated in a different row of the plane.
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The chairman of Air India, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, also released a statement on the crash online.
"With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight, AI 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today," he wrote. "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.
"At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.
Chandrasekaran continued: "Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information. An emergency centre has been activated and support team have been set up for families."