A Reevaluation of the Ahmedabad Air Disaster’s Death Toll
A dramatic turn of events has unfolded in the aftermath of the Ahmedabad air disaster, as reports now indicate that at least one passenger survived the crash. According to multiple British and Indian media outlets, the survivor is a British national who was seated on row 11A of the ill-fated Air India flight. The aircraft, which took off from Ahmedabad’s international airport on Thursday, was bound for London and carried a total of 242 passengers on board.
Earlier, the police had announced that all on board were likely to have perished in the crash. However, the suspected survivor, who spoke to the Hindustan Times, described hearing a loud noise about 30 seconds after takeoff, before the plane went down. He sustained injuries to his chest, eyes and feet and reportedly got up and ran from the crash site shortly after the incident. He was subsequently taken to the hospital.
Sky News has corroborated the story, citing family members of the passenger who have confirmed that he was on the flight and that they have spoken with him since the crash.
Preliminary findings suggest that the passenger plane crashed into a residential building, with the exact number of fatalities in the building still unknown. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.