Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, was discharged from the hospital and immediately faced the heartbreaking task of mourning his brother, Ajay. The Air India flight, bound for London, crashed on June 12th, claiming the lives of 270 people.
News agency PTI reported that Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, who was on seat 11A on the ill-fated Air India flight to London, was seen carrying Ajay's mortal remains to the cremation ground in Diu.
Following his discharge from the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad a week after the crash, the body of his brother Ajay, who had been traveling with him to London, was handed over to the family for the final rites. The emotional scene unfolded in Diu, where the brothers were natives, as Vishwas carried his brother's coffin through the funeral procession.
The 40-year-old British national and his brother had flown to India to spend time with their family. Local officials confirmed that Ajay was cremated in Diu on Wednesday morning after DNA sampling confirmed his identity.
The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, crashed shortly after takeoff, leading to what has been described as the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade, also resulting in approximately 30 fatalities on the ground.
Families of the victims have begun holding funerals as the bodies are identified and released. Health officials in Ahmedabad have been meticulously working to identify the deceased through DNA testing, a process described as slow and painstaking. Some relatives have been instructed not to open the coffins.
While the focus remains on grieving and honoring the lives lost, questions are being raised about the circumstances leading to the crash. India's aviation safety watchdog stated that recent surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet did not reveal any major safety concerns. However, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had previously raised concerns with Air India officials regarding maintenance-related issues. Twenty-four of Air India's 33 Boeing 787 aircraft had undergone an "enhanced safety inspection" ordered by the airline.
