AHMEDABAD: In a new update on the tragic Air India crash near Ahmedabad, a senior Gujarat health official has confirmed that one survivor has been found among the 242 passengers and crew on board. Ramesh Viswashkumar, the sole survivor of the Air India crash escaped by jumping from the plane. He was on seat number 11A. The London-bound Flight AI 171 went down shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.

Union Minister C.R. Patil has confirmed the death of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was on board the ill-fated aircraft. The news has sent shockwaves across political and public circles, as authorities continue recovery efforts in the crash zone.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the pilot issued a mayday signal to the Ahmedabad air traffic control before the aircraft lost altitude and crashed in a densely populated residential area. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but officials fear high fatalities both among those on board and in the affected neighbourhood.

To aid the identification process, the Gujarat Health Department has set up a DNA collection facility at BJ Medical College’s Kasoti Bhavan. “Close relatives, such as parents or children, of the deceased may provide DNA samples to assist in the identification,” said Dhananjay Dwivedi, the state’s principal health secretary.

Emergency services continue to operate at the crash site, where parts of the aircraft remain scattered across residential buildings and an adjoining medical complex. The black box has not yet been recovered.

Officials are urging the public and media to avoid speculation as investigations unfold. Civil Aviation and Home Ministry officials remain on the ground in Ahmedabad to oversee relief operations and support grieving families.

-Agencies