Ahmedabad plane crash: Did last-minute seat switch from 11J to 11A save lone survivor Ramesh Viswashkumar?

In the deadly Air India Flight AI171 crash that claimed nearly everyone on board, one man has emerged as the sole known survivor.

According to a News 18 report, citing initial police reports, the lone survivor, identified as 40-year-old Ramesh Viswashkumar, was found alive in seat 11A despite being listed as seated in 11J on the flight manifest, sparking speculation that a last-minute seat change may have played a role in his survival.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday, plunging near the residential quarters of a medical college.

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Investigations are underway into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash of the flight and the extraordinary survival of Viswashkumar. Recovery and identification efforts are ongoing at the crash site, where nearly all 242 passengers and crew perished.

Viswashkumar was among the only individuals showing signs of life when emergency teams reached the wreckage, reported News 18.

Currently receiving treatment at Civil Hospital in Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Viswashkumar has sustained injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet.

He had been visiting family in India and was returning to the UK with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, whose fate remains uncertain.

His survival, against overwhelming odds, is being seen as a near-miraculous exception in a crash that devastated not just those onboard, but also residents on the ground.

The aircraft came down in a densely populated area, reportedly damaging parts of a medical college hostel and resulting in additional civilian casualties.

The crash marks the first-ever total hull loss of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Indian authorities have launched a full investigation, supported by international aviation agencies, to determine what caused the aircraft to go down so suddenly after takeoff.

With inputs from agencies