Latest news with #SatinderSinghSandhu
BBC News
18-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Air India: Lone survivor lays brother to rest at emotional funeral
The British man who was the sole survivor of last week's Air India plane crash has helped lay his brother to rest at a funeral in western Ramesh's brother Ajay was also on the ill-fated flight but did not survive the tragedy.A visibly upset Ramesh was one of the pall bearers who carried his brother's coffin to the crematorium in the town of Diu, his arm and face still covered in white bandages. He's spent most of the past five days in London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed seconds after taking off on Thursday from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. At least 270 people were killed, most of them passengers. Mr Ramesh's mother walked with the coffin in a blue sari along with other mourners, as he held it on his right people from the town - which lost 14 other people to the crash - came out for the funeral even as the rain lashed the one is clear how Mr Ramesh managed to survive. He even tried to go back to the blazing plane to search for his brother, one of the first responders at the scene told the BBC. In a new video that emerged earlier this week, ambulance driver Satinder Singh Sandhu is the man seen guiding Mr Ramesh to safety as he walks out of the crash site with flames and thick smoke billowing into the air behind him. Mr Sandhu, a supervisor with the emergency ambulance services in Ahmedabad, says he had no idea who he was helping, or that Mr Ramesh had escaped from the plane. He only found out later that day on the news that the man was the sole survivor of the crash. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, 40, was in seat 11A on the flight. His brother is reported to have been sitting a few seats other passengers and crew were killed and nearly 30 people also died on the ground after the plane hurtled down and crashed into a doctor's hostel. But Mr Ramesh miraculously survived, managing to get out of the wreckage through an opening in the new video shows Mr Sandhu, who's wearing a blue turban, walk up to Mr Ramesh and guide him to Sandhu said he was having lunch with his colleagues when he first noticed a "massive fire with thick smoke rising into the sky"."At first, we thought it might be a car accident or a gas cylinder blast. Soon, we learned it was a plane crash. I immediately instructed my team to bring an ambulance, and rushed to the site." Speaking to BBC Gujarati, Mr Sandhu said that he was just trying to do his job. In his decades-long career, he said he had encountered many challenging what surprised him that day was how Mr Ramesh, after being rescued, kept trying to go back to the site of the crash."He had no idea what he was doing. He kept going in and out of the complex. We told him to stop, and dragged him away to an ambulance so that he could receive medical care," Mr Sandhu said."That's when he said to me that his relative was trapped inside and he wanted to go save him. We did not speak a word after that."Mr Ramesh later told India's DD News that he was trying to go look for Ajay. At the scene, Mr Sandhu spotted a security guard who seemed to have been injured in the impact. His clothes were partially burnt and Mr Sandhu first helped him."I also saw a woman. She was screaming in horror. Her son who ran a tea stall had been killed in the crash."Moments later he saw Mr Ramesh emerge from the crash site in a white had injuries on his face and burns on his arms and looked visibly upset, Mr Sandhu said."At that point, we had no idea who the injured man was. I thought he was one of the doctors who lived in the college. Later, when we saw the news, we realised he was the lone survivor of the crash."Chirag, a member of Mr Sandhu's ambulance team, told PTI news agency that Mr Ramesh was telling someone on a video call that his relatives were at the crash first responders treated him for his injuries and rushed him to the trauma centre of a hospital his interview with DD News, Mr Ramesh had said he could not believe that he came out of the wreckage alive."For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too, but when I opened my eyes and looked around, I realised I was alive."I still can't believe how I survived. I walked out of the rubble."The cause of the crash is not yet known. Officials are trying to decode the cockpit voice and flight data recorders - collectively known as the black box - recovered from the wreckage to piece together what reporting by Zoya Mateen in DelhiFollow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
The Sun
17-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Moment miracle Brit survivor of Air India jet heads BACK to burning wreck to rescue brother saying ‘I have to save him'
THIS is the astonishing moment miracle Brit Vishwash Ramesh rushed back to the burning Air India plane to save his brother. The 40-year-old sole survivor was captured staggering towards the blazing students' hostel - which claimed 38 lives - as black smoke billowed in the sky. 9 9 Footage emerged today shows emergency worker Satinder Singh Sandhu flailing his arms in the air in a desperate attempt to stop the Brit from walking back into the crash site. Dressed in a white t-shirt and trousers, Vishwas is seen eventually wandering over to the emergency worker as flames leapt behind him. Satinder revealed how he pleaded with the dad not to return to the inferno, warning he would died if he did. He recalled shouting as loud as he could to grab the dazed man's attention, then "begging him not to go back in there." Amid panicked crowds, the surviving Brit turned to Satinder and said: "My family member is in there, my brother and he's burning to death. I have to save him." According to the emergency worker, Vishwas was very disoriented, and limping but was still able to speak coherently. He told the Mail Online: "There was also blood on his face, but he was able to speak. He told the paramedics that he was flying to London when the plane fell and that he wanted to go back to save his family." Locals appear rushing around in panic and calling the emergency services when they spotted him. The businessman was taken to the 1,200-bed Civil Hospital less than a mile from Ahmedabad airport where the doomed Air India flight had taken off from before crashing just 33 seconds later. His dad Ramesh has been at his bedside but has been too upset to talk since the tragedy in which he lost his youngest son Ajay. Family friend Deepak Devjil said: 'He is still grappling with the tragedy.' The dad received a special Father's Day gift yesterday when his four-year-old son sent his best wishes. His youngster and wife have travelled to India following the crash and the family will soon be reunited, but Vishwash spoke to his son on the phone yesterday. The story of Vishwash's escape has astounded the world - and left experts speculating over how he cheated death. His brother, Ajaykumar Ramesh, 35, was sitting five seats away and tragically lost his life in the crash. Vishwash was sitting in seat 11A when the plane came down, which is right by the emergency exit. The Brit, whose family is from Leicester, told local media he was able to push open the plane's fuselage and get out before the plane blew up. 9 9 9 But it is currently unclear whether the opening Vishwash "slipped out" of was the emergency door or a rupture in the aircraft's fuselage. Aerospace and aviation professor Graham Braithwaite speculated the lucky Brit may have actually been flung out of the wreckage. He said: "The aircraft was loaded with fuel and it crashed into a heavily populated area. "I can only imagine that he was thrown from the wreckage, and that somehow as it crashed, what it hit managed to absorb some of the impact." He added: "Looking at the scene, I would imagine that the disruption to the aircraft would have been huge. "If anybody could have got out, then they probably could have just gone out in a gap in the fuselage - you'd struggle to infer from this, therefore, that is the seat you must always sit in." Vishwash has relayed his memory of the moment the plane went down, and his account could hold the key to figuring out what went wrong. One detail in particular has peaked the interest of crash investigators. The Brit revealed that the cabin lights began flickering just before the jet sank through the air. He said: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. "Suddenly, the lights started flickering - green and white. "The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded." Vishwash's flickering lights revelation came after a passenger who travelled on the plane the day before the crash claimed electrical parts such as the back-of-seat screens weren't working. Aviation experts have speculated that the reports of dodgy electrics could be a sign of a power failure, possibly explaining the crash. 9 9 9
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Astonishing moment British survivor of Air India plane crash walks BACK towards flaming wreckage to rescue his brother, telling bystander: 'He's burning to death, I have to save him'
This is the dramatic moment the British man who was the miraculous sole survivor of the Air India plane crash attempted to return to the inferno of the accident to save his brother. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, was captured on camera staggering towards a building engulfed by ferocious flames as dense smoke billowed in the air. In the video, exclusively obtained by MailOnline emergency worker Satinder Singh Sandhu, who is wearing a turquoise turban and orange shirt, can be seen waving his arms as he desperately shouts at Mr Ramesh to come towards him to escape the devastation. It was previously thought that images that have gone viral showed Mr Ramesh incredibly emerging from the crash moments after the Air India jet smashed into the hostel of a medical college on 12 June. But MailOnline can reveal that what they actually show is him walking towards Mr Sandhu after he luckily spotted him attempting to walk back into the horrific crash site and vociferously pleaded with him not to. Mr Sandhu, who was the first emergency worker at the scene told MailOnline: 'I saw a man in a white t-shirt walking back towards the fire. He appeared quite dazed and confused and I shouted: 'Stop. What are you doing? Don't go back in there. You'll die.' 'I was shouting as loud as I could and waving my arms pointing to the flames. There was a lot of panic and confusion but luckily for him, he heard me.' He added: 'The man had initially walked away from the crash but how he did that I don't know. Fortunately, I saw him walking back towards it and couldn't believe that anybody would do such a thing. I was screaming at the top of my voice and begging him not to go back in there, telling him to get away and walk to me.' Mr Sandhu revealed that after hearing his desperate pleas, Mr Ramesh turned, started walking towards him and told him: 'My family member is in there, my brother and he's burning to death. I have to save him.' Mr Sandhu, 41 said: 'I walked nearer to Mr Ramesh, grabbed him by the arm and led him away to a waiting ambulance. I had no idea that he was a passenger on the plane and thought he was a resident of the hostel or a passer-by. 'He was very disoriented and shocked and was limping. There was also blood on his face, but he was able to speak. He told the paramedics that he was flying to London when the plane fell and that he wanted to go back to save his family.' The horrific crash killed all but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board. Mr Ramesh's older brother Ajay, 45 who was seated across the aisle from him is also believed to have been killed although his body has yet to be formally identified. The brothers, who live in Leicester, had been in India visiting relatives. Mr Sandhu, who is responsible for a fleet of ambulances at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital close to where the crash occurred revealed that he was having lunch last Thursday when he heard a loud explosion. He immediately dropped his plate and ran towards the blast and after seeing the devastation before him, made the first emergency call of the incident at 1.41pm alerting his boss Jeetendra Shahi that he should send as many ambulances as possible and the other emergency services. In the call, which MailOnline has a recording of he says in a remarkably calm voice: 'There is a fire near Civil (hospital). It is a plane crash or something, I don't know. Please ask the team leader to send ambulances and fire brigade at the earliest.' Mr Shahi responds: 'Yes, I am sending.' Mr Sandhu revealed: 'When I got there it was horrific. There were burnt bodies scattered all over the street, huge flames and lots of smoke and people were running around and shouting. 'At first I wasn't 100% sure if it was a plane crash but then I looked up and could see part of an aircraft stuck in the building and realised what had happened.' Mr Sandhu revealed that it was only in the evening of last Thursday that he was informed that Mr Ramesh was a passenger on the plane and the sole survivor. He said: 'I still can't believe how he walked away from that crash. But what is more shocking is that if it hadn't been for me, he'd have gone back into the flames because he was determined to save his brother. 'I feel very honoured to have saved Mr Ramesh but at the same time, I was only doing my duty. My job is all about saving lives.' Mr Ramesh is still being treated at the Civil Hospital but has not sustained any serious injuries. He is expected to be discharged shortly. Mr Sandhu said: 'I'd love to meet him one day because I feel that I now have a very special connection with him. His survival is an unbelievable miracle and the one positive thing that has come out of this terrible tragedy.'
The Sun
16-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Astounding new vid shows miracle Brit survivor of Air India disaster WALK away from flaming wreck – while on the phone
INCREDIBLE new footage has emerged of the moment miracle Brit Vishwash Ramesh walked away from the Air India horror. As an inferno engulfed the students' hostel – where 38 people perished – the dad calmly emerged from the compound still clutching his phone. 11 11 11 He wandered into the street as flames leapt behind him and a huge black pall of smoke rose into the sky. Locals were rushing around in panic calling the emergency services when they spotted him. A man in a turquoise turban rushed over and guided him away from the blaze as dazed Vishwash, 40, cried out: 'Plane fatyo che (the plane exploded).' The first paramedic on the scene – out of a total fleet of 35 ambulances that was deployed to the crash site – led him to safety. Satinder Singh Sandhu said: 'The first person we spotted was the hostel guard who suffered primary burn injuries. 'Even as he was dispatched in an ambulance as the first patient from the site, we saw a man coming from out near the building. 'We started shouting at him as he was disorientated and tried to go back to the site, even as the fire and smoke billowed. 'We later got to know that his brother was on the flight and he was trying to go back to check on him. 'But the team on the spot escorted him and took him to Civil Hospital. 'His survival is unbelievable.' The businessman was taken to the 1,200-bed Civil Hospital less than a mile from Ahmedabad airport where the doomed Air India flight had taken off from before crashing just 33 seconds later. His dad Ramesh has been at his bedside but has been too upset to talk since the tragedy in which he lost his youngest son Ajay. Family friend Deepak Devjil said: 'He is still grappling with the tragedy.' The dad received a special Father's Day gift yesterday when his four-year-old son sent his best wishes. His youngster and wife have travelled to India following the crash and the family will soon be reunited, but Vishwash spoke to his son on the phone yesterday. The story of Vishwash's escape has astounded the world - and left experts speculating over how he cheated death. His brother, Ajaykumar Ramesh, 35, was sitting five seats away and tragically lost his life in the crash. 11 11 11 Vishwash was sitting in seat 11A when the plane came down, which is right by the emergency exit. The Brit, whose family is from Leicester, told local media he was able to push open the plane's fuselage and get out before the plane blew up. But it is currently unclear whether the opening Vishwash "slipped out" of was the emergency door or a rupture in the aircraft's fuselage. Aerospace and aviation professor Graham Braithwaite speculated the lucky Brit may have actually been flung out of the wreckage. He said: "The aircraft was loaded with fuel and it crashed into a heavily populated area. "I can only imagine that he was thrown from the wreckage, and that somehow as it crashed, what it hit managed to absorb some of the impact." 11 11 He added: "Looking at the scene, I would imagine that the disruption to the aircraft would have been huge. "If anybody could have got out, then they probably could have just gone out in a gap in the fuselage - you'd struggle to infer from this, therefore, that is the seat you must always sit in." Vishwash has relayed his memory of the moment the plane went down, and his account could hold the key to figuring out what went wrong. One detail in particular has peaked the interest of crash investigators. The Brit revealed that the cabin lights began flickering just before the jet sank through the air. He said: "When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. "Suddenly, the lights started flickering - green and white. "The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded." Vishwash's flickering lights revelation came after a passenger who travelled on the plane the day before the crash claimed electrical parts such as the back-of-seat screens weren't working. Aviation experts have speculated that the reports of dodgy electrics could be a sign of a power failure, possibly explaining the crash.
NDTV
15-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Ahmedabad Plane Crash Live Updates: Gujarat Admin To Hand Over Identified Bodies To Families Today
Ahmedabad Plane Crash Live Updates: The bodies of the 274 victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash, who have been identified, are set to be handed over to their families by the Gujarat government on Sunday, sources said. Nearly 600 doctors, assistants and drivers have been roped in to hand over the bodies, identified through DNA testing, outside Ahmedabad civil hospital, the sources added. On Thursday, at least 274 people were killed in one of India's deadliest plane crashes involving a London-bound Air India flight. AI 171 - belonging to Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 fleet - crashed seconds after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Officials said the aircraft lost altitude soon after taking off at around 1.30 pm. It crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College before going up in flames, sending plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air. The pilot had issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said. Sources said the casualties include the passengers and crew on board AI 171, and local residents on ground. 1st Responder Was Having Lunch At Hostel Where Air India Plane Crashed In Ahmedabad 108 Ambulance driver Satinder Singh Sandhu was having lunch when he heard a loud explosion. One look outside one of the hostels of the BJ Medical College campus and he saw the makings of a great tragedy - thick black smoke and chaos. His phone rang and he rushed to the place where the smoke was emanating from to find an aircraft crashed and on fire. The first person Mr Sandhu saw emerging from the crash site was a heavily burnt security guard. He told NDTV that he also saw the lone survivor of the crashed AI171 aircraft walking from the plane and then attempting to go back to save his relative on board. Unfortunately, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh's relative was among the 241 on board that died in Thursday's crash. The ambulance driver then rushed Mr Ramesh to the hospital, where he underwent treatment. Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Priyanka Gandhi Calls For Corrective Measures Congress general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said that once the reason for the Ahmedabad plane crash is found, corrective measures need to be taken to protect lives in the future. "We should be united in our grief and provide as much solidarity as we can to the families of the passengers and others, including medical students, who lost their lives in the incident. It is a moment where we need to stand together and just provide solidarity," she said. The Congress MP further said that it was also important to find "what went wrong". "It is being investigated. I am sure the investigating agencies will in the next few days enlighten the nation as to what happened. Then in the future, whatever corrective measures need to be taken, will be taken to protect people and lives," she said.
