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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Heartbreaking moment Air India survivor tries to rescue brother from wreckage
Emergency worker Satinder Singh Sandhu described how he desperately called out to Vishwash Ramesh after spotting him trying to go back into the burning wreckage of Flight 171 The sole survivor of the India Air plane crash tried to go back to the wreckage in an attempt to save his brother from "burning to death". A total of 270 people were killed in the devastating incident last Thursday in Ahmedabad in western India. Yet somehow Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, a British national of Indian origin, managed to walk away from the plane with only minor injuries. Now, astonishing footage has surfaced showing Ramesh bravely trying to go back into the flaming building that plane had smashed into as smoke billowed all around. Emergency worker Satinder Singh Sandhu, seen in the clip below wearing a turquoise turban and orange shirt, is seen frantically waving his arms to try and stop the dazed man. "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'," he told the MailOnline. He described the loud panic and confusion at the scene but was thankful that Ramesh heard min above the commotion and started to walk back towards him. Earlier footage had emerged showing the survivor appearing to walk out from the wreckage. However, in light of the the new video it was in fact showing Ramesh walking towards Sandhu after he had called him over. "The man had initially walked away from the crash but how he did that I don't know," the emergency worker said. He added that he was "screaming" and "begging" for Ramesh not to go into the death trap. At the time, he believed Ramesh was a passerby or a hostel resident. After turning away from the wreckage, he heartbreakingly Sandhu: "My family member is in there, my brother and he's burning to death. I have to save him." A bloodied and disorientated Ramesh was led away, limping to a waiting ambulance. He told paramedics that he was flying to London when the plane crashed and wanted to go back to save his family. Ramesh was unaware then that he was the only survivor on the plane out of 242 passengers and crew members. Ramesh was in seat 11A while his brother Ajay, 45 was seated across the aisle from him. Sandhu, responsible for a fleet of ambulances at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital, was having lunch when he heard a loud noise. He described the scene as "horrific" when he arrived and with "burnt bodies" all over the street. Speaking about his disbelief that Ramesh survived the crash he added that it was, "more shocking that if it hadn't been for me, he'd have gone back into the flames because he was determined to save his brother."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Expert details how plane crash death toll could easily have been even larger
Although all but one of the 242 onboard the Air India Boeing 787 died following the crash, it is thought the death toll of those on the ground - said to be 29 - could have been greater The death toll of the India Air plane crash could easily have been even greater than the estimated 270 people, it is argued. More than the 29 confirmed deaths of people on the ground would have been likely had it not been for the heroic efforts of Good Samaritans who rushed to help, according to Minakshi Parikh, dean of the college, struck by the Boeing 787. He praised the actions of quick-thinking employees and students, some of whom were having lunch and missed impact by inches upon the collision. She said: "That is human nature, isn't it? When our own people are injured, our first response is to help them. So the doctors who managed to escape ... the first thing that they did was they went back in and dug out their colleagues who were trapped inside. They might not even have survived because the rescue teams take time coming." Ms Parikh believes more bodies would have pulled from the rubble had her colleagues at BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, western India, not reacted so swiftly and bravely. It is thought 29 people in the building - and on the ground below it - have been confirmed dead, in addition to 241 people on the plane itself. Navin Chaudhary, a trainee doctor, rushed towards a window and jumped to help search for injured colleagues and students after the impact on Thursday. He said: "There was fire and many were injured... I felt that as a doctor I could save someone's life. I was safe. So I thought, whatever I can do, I should." Students also emerged from the smouldering hostel and rushed to save their friends and staff. Akshay Zala, a senior medical student, said the crash felt "like an earthquake." He said: "I could hardly see anything as thick plumes of smoke and dust engulfed everything. I was barely able to breathe." Mr Zala rushed to safety, running through dust and smoke. He cleaned and bandaged a wound on his left leg then joined others at the medical college's trauma centre to treat the injured. Many, like Ms Parikh, believe those actions and the subsequent treatment were life-saving moments. Images of the college's dining area shortly after the crash showed parts of the aircraft and pieces of luggage strewn on the floor. Dining plates still containing food lay on the few dusty tables that were left intact by the impact. The development comes as an expert has claimed new footage of the Air India disaster contains pivotal clues which could help investigators uncover why the plane crashed. Analysing a new video of the plane's sudden descent, commercial aviator Steve Schreiber said he noticed a "protrusion on the belly of the aircraft", with a "little grey dot" just below it.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
‘Hero' India Air pilot ‘saved dozens of lives' in final decision before crash
India Air pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 55, has been lauded for his quick-thinking actions which likely stopped dozens more people being killed when his Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed The pilot of the doomed Air India flight has been praised for 'saving dozens of lives' with his final decision seconds before his plane crashed into a building full of medical students. A total of 270 bodies have now been recovered from the site of the disaster in Ahmedabad, India, after search teams spent the weekend looking through rubble and the burnt-out wreckage of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which came down shortly after take-off on Thursday. Among those believed dead are 241 passengers and crew on board, including at least 50 British nationals, while the rest of the casualties are thought to have been inside the doctors' hostel or on the ground nearby. One British passenger on the the London-bound plane, 40-year-old Vishwash Ramesh, miraculously survived the crash. But India Air pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who died in the impact, has now been described as a 'hero' for diverting his plane into a patch of grassland and avoiding a direct hit on the doctors' hostel, saving countless lives. He sent a mayday message to air control less than a minute after the plane took off from Ahmedabad airport, with the plane reaching a height of 650ft before beginning a rapid descent. As well as being a pilot, the 55-year-old from Mumbai was also the primary carer for his elderly father, Pushkaraj, who was himself once an officer with India's Ministry of Civil Aviation. In a call to him a few minutes before take-off, he told him: "I'll call you once I reach London." Indian media reported that he had recently promised his dad he would retire from flying so he could return home and look after him full time. Family friend Lande told India Today: "Sumit had spoken to him just three days ago, saying he wanted to leave flying and come home to care for him. "His father couldn't say a word. His eyes were filled with tears." In tribute, colleagues described Captain Sabharwal as a "good, quiet person" who acted as a mentor to younger pilots. Black box retrieved from crash site As work continues at the crash site this week - with experts from US aviation giant Boeing now having arrived to analyse the wreckage - focus will also turn to the contents of the aeroplane's black box and cockpit voice recorder, which was retrieved on Friday It could reveal vital information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will offer an insight into the final conversations of Captain Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kunder before the plane went down. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the investigation into the crash, with four UK experts also having flown out to provide additional support and expertise. The US National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting its own probe, as the aircraft was American-made.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Paris Airshow opens under cloud of India crash, Mideast conflict
* India Air Boeing 787 crash overshadows industry talks * Boeing scales back air show presence amid crash probe * Aircraft orders still expected, led by Airbus * Tariffs, Mideast conflict also cloud industry outlook * Poland set to hand Airbus jet order amid warmer French ties PARIS, - The Paris Airshow opens on Monday with its usual fanfare of aircraft orders expected to be tempered by concerns over India's deadliest air disaster and escalating missile strikes between Israel and Iran that have rattled the global aviation industry. Every two years, Le Bourget Airport in the northeast of Paris is transformed into a showcase for the aerospace and defence industry, its sprawling tarmac lined with fighter jets, commercial airliners and autonomous drones. In the pristine white chalets along the flight line, aerospace executives, government officials and military delegations gather to strike deals and discuss the geopolitical forces shaping the future of aviation. Delegates say they expect this year's event from June 16-20 to be more sombre and several public activities to be scaled back after last week's air disaster, when an Air India Boeing 787 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing over 240 people. Investigators are gathering data on the engine, wing flaps and landing gear, though it is too early to draw conclusions, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters in India. India's aviation regulator has ordered safety checks on the airline's 787 fleet. The industry has also been shaken by missile strikes between Iran and Israel, which erupted on Friday - just a day after the India crash - forcing carriers to cancel or divert thousands of flights in the latest upheaval to travel in the region. Aerospace and defence executives are also grappling with uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump's shifting tariff policies, which many say have been impacting aircraft, engines and parts, disrupting global supply chains, driving up production costs and straining international partnerships. The show's opening coincides with the 10th anniversary of Trump's first run for office in 2015 ahead of his first term. But it is the trade policies of his second term that have caused the industry to defend its previous tariff-free status, as a pause in his "Liberation Day" tariffs nears a July 8 deadline. AIRBUS POLAND WIN EXPECTED Boeing's CEO Kelly Ortberg and Commercial Airplanes boss Stephanie Pope cancelled their trip to Paris and the U.S. planemaker is scaling back its schedule at the event as it focuses on supporting the India crash probe. The planemaker is eager to keep a low-key presence and avoid any jarring publicity, though it was too late to remove Boeing advertising banners dominating the venue. Behind Boeing's chalet at Le Bourget, a gleaming Riyadh Air 787 sits on the tarmac. Boeing is emerging from back-to-back safety, industrial and corporate crises triggered by fatal accidents involving the smaller 737 MAX, which is a separate model to the newer 787. Aircraft deals will still be announced at the show, where European politics are also driving some of the discussions. Sources told Reuters that Poland is expected to announce Airbus as the winner of a landmark deal to sell around 47 A220 jets to state carrier LOT - part of a wider reset of relations between Poland and France, where Airbus has its headquarters. Brazil's Embraer had pushed hard for the deal, the people said. None of the parties agreed to comment. Airbus is also the front-runner against the same planemaker for a potential order for dozens of A220 jets from AirAsia, with Airbus reviving a proposal for a tighter 160-seat cabin layout while separately showing airlines a stretched version featuring existing Pratt & Whitney engines, sources said. Airbus was also expected to kick off the event with two Saudi orders from AviLease and Riyadh Air. Boeing has shelved most announcements including a fleet shake-up by long-time customer Royal Air Maroc, but had already been heading for a quieter week than Airbus after pre-empting the show with big orders during Trump's recent Gulf visit. The air show is also an opportunity for established and emerging defence and space companies to showcase cutting-edge technologies such as AI and autonomy.
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
‘Hero' India Air pilot ‘saved dozens of lives' with last gasp decision moments before doomed jet's horror crash
All but one of the 242 people on the plane died 'SAVED BY PILOT' 'Hero' India Air pilot 'saved dozens of lives' with last gasp decision moments before doomed jet's horror crash THE India Air pilot was hailed a hero yesterday by locals when he diverted the doomed jet at the last second to avoid their apartment block. All 18 families in the three-storey building under the flight path are convinced they owe their lives to Captain Sumeet Sabharwal — whose Boeing 787 Dreamliner was heading for them when its suffered a loss of engine thrust after take-off. Advertisement 5 India Air pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was hailed a hero 5 The burnt out building at the site of the crash Credit: Dan Charity 5 Captain Sabharwal diverted the doomed jet at the last second to avoid an apartment block Credit: Dan Charity But with feet to spare, he managed to divert the plane carrying 242 passengers and crew towards a patch of grassland. The locals raced from their homes in Ahmedabad when a fireball from 90 tons of aviation fuel ignited as the plane slammed into the ground next to a medical college. The plane obliterated the top two floors of a disused four-storey military building. And the fire tore through the college's hostel, killing dozens of students and staff who were having lunch in the canteen. Advertisement All but one of the 242 people on the plane died. Captain Sabharwal, 55, the son of an officer with India's civil aviation authority, was an experienced aviator with 8,200 hours of flying time. He was the main carer for his father, now in his 80s, who he called before take-off. Colleagues paid tribute to Captain Sabharwal from Mumbai, saying: 'He was a good, quiet person.' Advertisement Mum Geeta Patni, 48, who is one of the closest residents to the crash site, told The Sun: 'The building was shaking. We were so scared. 'There was chaos in the street and fire and smoke. What caused the Air India plane disaster? Six main theories emerge – from mystery over landing gear to 40C weather 'Any closer and we would have died. The pilot saved us. 'We have always worried this might happen because the planes go over so low.' Advertisement Another resident, Jahanvi Rajput, 28, said: 'Thanks to the pilot Captain Sabharwal we survived. He's a hero. It is because of him we are alive. 'The green space next to us was visible to him and that's where he went.' Mum-of-two Chancal Bai, 50, said: 'If the plane had crashed into this residential area, there would have been hundreds more victims.' All of the bodies from the site have been recovered with just 32 indentified so far. Advertisement Most of the plane has now been removed and the engine will be analysed in America. British and American experts have joined India's National Disaster Response Force to scour the area. 5 Clive Kunder was the co-pilot on the doomed flight 5 Advertisement Hundreds of desperate relatives have been gathering for news of loved ones at the local Civil Hospital. The first funeral service for a British victim was held yesterday, for Elcina Alpesh Makwana, 42, of Hounslow, West London. Her uncle Joseph Patelia said: 'Before take-off, she called her father to say she'd boarded safely and would call once she landed in London. That call never came. 'She vanished, leaving us in shock, in tears, unable to believe what we're hearing.'
