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News18
8 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Modi Becomes First Indian PM To Visit Ghana In 30 Years, Gets Guard Of Honour And 21-Gun Salute
The Prime Minister was warmly greeted by members of the Indian diaspora in Accra upon his arrival at the hotel where he will be staying during his two-day visit to Ghana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Ghana, as part of his five-nation tour, where he received a warm welcome from President John Dramani Mahama. PM Modi, who became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the West African country in the last 30 years, received a guard of honour and a 21-gun salute on his arrival. Ghana plays strategic role as a key partner in the Global South and is an active member of both the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). #WATCH | As PM Narendra Modi becomes the first Indian PM to visit Ghana after 30 years, President John Mahama of Ghana gives him a warm welcome at the airport. A Guard of Honour, along with a 21-gun salute, was presented to the PM.(Video: ANI/DD News) — ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2025 The Prime Minister was warmly greeted by members of the Indian diaspora in Accra upon his arrival at the hotel where he will be staying during his two-day visit to Ghana. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a warm welcome from members of Indian diaspora in Accra, as he arrives at the hotel where he will stay during his two-day visit to Ghana.(Video: ANI/DD News) — ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2025 At the hotel in Accra, PM Modi also witnessed a short cultural performance, where a group of young children chanted 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna" in his honour. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Ghana as a 'valued friend" of India in Africa and an important partner in the Global South. 'The talks with President John Dramani Mahama will provide an opportunity to boost India-Ghana friendship across various sectors. It is also an honour to be getting the opportunity to address the Parliament of Ghana tomorrow, 3rd July," said PM Modi. After his visit to Ghana, the Prime Minister will travel to Trinidad and Tobago from July 3 to 4, at the invitation of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. He will then head to Argentina from July 4 to 5 for bilateral talks with President Javier Milei. From July 5 to 8, PM Modi will be in Rio to attend the BRICS Summit. Concluding his multi-nation tour, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Namibia on July 9, following an invitation from President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
India Today
5 days ago
- General
- India Today
Survivor's guilt, scorn: How Vishwaskumar Ramesh is dealing with life and loss after Air India crash
The gift of life may turn into a curse if you are the only survivor of a plane crash that claimed 271 lives, including 241 co-passengers—one of them your brother. British national of Indian origin Vishwaskumar Ramesh, 40, who miraculously escaped when Air India Flight AI171 plunged into an Ahmedabad medical college compound shortly after take-off on June 12, appears to have battled severe survivor's has been unable to sleep. His survival came at a profound cost—the loss of brother Ajay, 45, who was seated just across the aisle on seat 11J. Ramesh was the occupant of 11A. Besides the heavy burden of survivor's guilt, his ordeal was compounded by a baseless businessman from Leicester, UK, described the crash as a blur of terror. 'Thirty seconds into take-off, there was a loud noise and the plane crashed. It was sudden. When I woke up, I found bodies all around me,' Ramesh has told DD News channel from his hospital seat, it seems, detached during the crash, landing in a narrow gap between buildings where loose soil cushioned the fall, saving him from the fireball that the aircraft turned into. 'The plane broke and my seat came off,' Ramesh told doctors, recounting how he had unbuckled himself and crawled through a shattered fuselage, his left hand burned by flames. The brothers, natives of Diu, were returning to the UK after visiting family in their ancestral village of Bucharwada. Ramesh has returned to his village, where he is refusing to interact with anyone except footage of the air tragedy had captured him stumbling barefoot through the plane's debris, shouting, 'Plane fatyo che! (The plane exploded!)', even as he tried to return to the wreckage to find Ajay, only to be restrained by first guilt, a well-documented psychological phenomenon, likely gripped Ramesh in the days that followed. Clinical studies describe it as a profound sense of remorse or unworthiness experienced by those who survive a tragedy while others, especially loved ones, do survivor's guilt can manifest as intrusive thoughts, depression or a fixation on 'why me?'. Ramesh's repeated statements—'I don't know how I survived' and 'I still can't believe I'm alive'—suggest a struggle to process it all. His proximity to Ajay during the crash likely amplified his sense of responsibility, as if he could have done something to save his public nature of his suffering, amplified by viral videos, may have further complicated his ability to grieve privately, as the world watched his every move. The heart-wrenching visuals of Ramesh, bandaged and limping, carrying Ajay's coffin during the funeral procession in Diu on June 18, underscored his grief. Ramesh broke down multiple times, shouldering his brother's bier alongside their father, Ramesh Bhalia, as the family Ramesh grappled with his loss, a disturbing rumour surfaced on social media. It suggested he had fabricated his presence on the flight. The rumour spread rapidly, fuelled by the sensational nature of the crash and the public's fascination with his survival. The origins of it are unclear, possibly stemming from misinformation or scepticism about how someone could survive such a catastrophic event June 20, actor and singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, in her now-deleted post, said: 'So this #vishwaskumarramesh lied about being a passenger on the plane & the only survivor? This is seriously weird. Didn't his family in the UK corroborate his story? What about his brother's funeral that he was seen giving kandha to? Deserve not only some serious punishment but some mental asylum time if this is true, uff.'Within hours, several independent social media influencers and users circulated reels and posts, joining the bandwagon of scepticism against Ramesh, and a rumour that he was arrested by police caught the backlash was also swift. Social media users condemned Krishnamoorthi for her insensitivity, pointing to overwhelming evidence of Ramesh's survival: hospital records, police confirmation, Air India's passenger manifest listing him on seat 11A, and video footage of him emerging from the wreckage. However, videos and posts continue to police commissioner G.S. Malik and Dr Dhaval Gameti, who treated Ramesh at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, confirmed his identity and injuries, noting he was 'disoriented with multiple injuries' but out of danger. Ramesh's survival was not only verified but celebrated by authorities, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah visiting him in hospital. And yet, the rumour's brief traction reveals how quickly public perception can shift from empathy to scepticism, particularly in high-profile to India Today Magazine- EndsTune InTrending Reel
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sole survivor of Air India crash lays his brother to rest after leaving hospital
Leaving hospital with wounds still fresh, the sole survivor of last week's Air India plane crash solemnly carried the coffin of his brother, performing the last rites for a life lost in the deadly disaster. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national, appeared overcome with grief as he led the funeral procession through the streets of the western Indian coastal town of Diu on Wednesday. Ramesh, who was discharged from hospital a day prior, had bandages on his face from cuts and bruises sustained after flight AI171 traveling to London's Gatwick Airport from the western city of Ahmedabad plunged to the ground seconds after takeoff last Thursday, killing 241 people on board. How Ramesh escaped with a few wounds is being described as nothing short of a miracle. 'I don't know how I survived,' he told Indian state broadcaster DD News while in the hospital, explaining how he unbuckled himself from his seat in 11A – an emergency exit seat – shortly after the crash and walked away from the scene. 'For some time, I thought I was going to die. But when I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive,' he said. He and his brother, who had been sitting a few rows away, had been returning to the UK after spending a few weeks visiting family in India. Video of Ramesh stumbling from the crash has been viewed widely on news channels and across social media. Flames can be seen billowing behind him, with thick plumes of smoke rising high into the sky. Authorities tasked with identifying the victims' bodies have described just how difficult that process has been. High temperatures from the burning fuel left 'no chance' to rescue passengers, India's Home Minister Amit Shah said, making bodies difficult to recognize. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was carrying 125,000 liters – enough to last a 10-hour flight from Ahmedabad to London – but it crashed less than a minute after takeoff, plunging into a hostel for medical students, killing several on the ground. As of Thursday, more than 150 bodies have been handed over to loved ones, according to health officials, with funerals taking place in various cities across the country. Investigators, meanwhile, are looking at the wreckage to determine what could have caused one of the worst air crashes India has seen in decades. A mayday call from the cockpit was made to air traffic control shortly before the crash, Indian civil aviation authorities said. Both black boxes, the plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, are now being analyzed for valuable clues that could help determine the cause. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are leading the probe into the crash with assistance from the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as officials from Boeing. The Indian government has also set up a separate high-level committee to examine what led to the crash. The committee is expected to file their preliminary findings within three months. Air India – the country's flagship carrier – said on Wednesday it is conducting safety inspections across all of its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft fleet. 'Out of total 33 aircraft, inspections have now been completed on 26 and these have been cleared for service, while inspection of the remainder will be complete in the coming days,' it said in a statement on X. Meanwhile, it has reduced international services on its widebody aircraft by 15% due to the ongoing inspections and the conflict in the Middle East, it added. For days, families of victims have gathered near morgues awaiting to collect the bodies of their loved ones and searching for answers. As Ramesh laid his brother to rest Wednesday, another family around 160 miles south in the city of Mumbai, performed burials for four members killed in the crash. Imtiaz Ali Syed, 42, whose brother Javed, sister-in-law, nephew and niece were on board the Air India flight, said he received their bodies from authorities in Ahmedabad and brought them to the family's hometown on Wednesday. Javed and his family, who lived in London, were in Mumbai to visit his sick mother and celebrate Eid al-Adha, also known as Bakri Eid, Syed told CNN. It was the first time in 15 years that Syed and his three other siblings were all together, he said. Syed's sister, who also lives in the UK, took a direct flight from Mumbai to London, he said. But Javed and his family were on a different flight via Ahmedabad. He described his disbelief when he learned that Javed was on the ill-fated Air India plane. 'Someone woke me up and said a plane crashed in Ahmedabad and asked me to check what flight Javed was on,' Syed recalled. Syed fondly described his brother as someone who was 'always available' for their family. 'He looked after my grandmother's medicines, he looked after my mother, he would take care of our sister,' he said, describing the unbearable pain of losing Javed. 'Within a week or fifteen days, or a month, maybe he will call,' Syed said. 'Telling me he is somewhere.'
News18
18-06-2025
- General
- News18
How Lone Survivor Of Air India Crash Escaped: Landed On Piled Up Soil Between Two Buildings
Last Updated: Top sources were quoted as saying British businessman Vishwas Kumar Ramesh landed in the narrow gap between two buildings where loose soil had been piled up, cushioning his fall His story is nothing short of a miracle, but the sole survivor of the Air India plane crash has said his astonishing escape was a combination of fortune and quick decision making in identifying a crucial space amidst the wreckage and acting fast. Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the 40-year-old British businessman from Leicester, reportedly landed on loose soil piled up in a narrow gap between two buildings when the flight crashed into the residential quarters of the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad. The video in which he can be seen walking out of the campus amid utter devastation, has gone viral. One of the worst aviation tragedies in India, the crash killed 241 passengers and crew members on board the London-bound flight. Only Vishwas Kumar Ramesh survived, seated on 11A close to the emergency door on the left side of the ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Top sources told India Today TV that Ramesh landed in the narrow gap between two buildings where loose soil had been piled up, cushioning his fall and saving his life. There was an internal explosion after the aircraft crashed into the building, and many have said he could not have escaped unscathed. But his survival is now being attributed to the spot he landed on. In fact, he has told DD News in an interview that the portion of the plane where he was seated fell on the ground floor of the hostel premises. 'Luckily, the portion of the plane where I was seated fell on the ground floor of the hostel premises after the plane crash landed. When I saw that the door of the plane was broken, I told myself 'I can try and get out'. Eventually, I got out of the plane," Ramesh said. 'I believe that others could not escape because there was a wall on that side (of the hostel) while there was a small gap where I was sitting. I still can't believe how I survived the crash because I saw people dying in front of my eyes," he told DD News. He added: 'Though I managed to escape, my left hand got burnt as the plane caught fire after the crash. I walked out of the aircraft and then an ambulance brought me to hospital." In a viral video shot by a local resident immediately after the crash, he can be seen walking towards the ambulance after getting hurt in the crash. 'It all happened in front of my eyes. I cannot believe how I survived…For a brief moment, I felt I was about to die but when my eyes opened, I was alive. I unbuckled myself from the seat and exited from an opening," he said. Police have confirmed that at least 265 people, including those on the ground, were killed in the tragedy. Four MBBS students and a doctor's wife were among those killed at the complex of BJ Medical College located outside the airport perimeter. (With PTI inputs)
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
PM Modi makes it clear to Trump: US played no role in India-Pakistan ceasefire
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US President Donald Trump during a 35-minute telephonic conversation that there was no third-party involvement in ceasefire talks between India and Pakistan, countering a claim Trump has repeatedly made. Modi told Trump 'clearly' that during entire Operation Sindoor there were no discussions at any level on India-US trade deal or any mediation by the US for ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a video on X posted by DDNews. India-Pakistan tensions flared up after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7. In response, Pakistan tried to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. India hit back firmly in response to the Pakistani actions. Trump has repeatedly claimed he played a role in ceasefire between India and Pakistan. He had also claimed that trade talks played a role in what he has called a ceasefire but India has termed a mere cessation of hostilities. Notably, India has said that Operation Sindoor is only suspended, and Pakistan is under watch. In one such instances of Trump claiming the US role in India-Pakistan ceasefire, the US President had said in May, "If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole, and I think I settled it through trade." Trump added, "And I said, 'What are you guys doing?' Somebody had to be the last one to shoot. But the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the countries. And we spoke to them, and I think we, you know, I hate to say we got it settled, and then two days later, something happens, and they say it's Trump's fault." Live Events (more to come)
