The only individual to survive the Air India plane crash has disclosed the details of his escape during the tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 200 people.
On Thursday, June 12, a 40-year-old British man’s survival astonished everyone as he emerged from the remains of the Air India flight that resulted in the deaths of all other 241 passengers and crew, along with many more on the ground.
The ill-fated AI171 flight had taken off from Ahmedabad, destined for London Gatwick, when it crashed into residential buildings less than a minute after takeoff.
The Boeing 787-8 was carrying a total of 242 passengers and crew members, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national, and seven Portuguese nationals.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated in 11a and the sole survivor, has now explained how he successfully escaped the debris.
During an interview with the Hindustan Times from his hospital bed in Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Ramesh recounted: “Thirty seconds after takeoff there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.
“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
He further elaborated to Indian state media DD News on how he managed to escape.
Ramesh recounted: “I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening, and crawled out.”
He also described how shortly after takeoff, the aircraft’s lights began to flicker.
Moments later, he described feeling as though the plane was ‘stuck in the air’.
“The lights started flickering green and white…suddenly slammed into a building and exploded,” he added.
The aircraft crashed into a building used as housing for doctors at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital.
The Leicester-based father mentioned that his position in the plane was close to the ground, and his section had not collided with the building.
“When the door broke and I saw there was some space, I tried to get out of there and I did,” he continued.
“No one could have got out from the opposite side, which was towards the wall, because it crashed there.”
Viral footage later showed Ramesh walking away from the wreckage towards an ambulance.
“I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me,” he told the Indian broadcaster.
“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.”
Doctor Dhaval Gameti, who is attending to Ramesh, commented: “He was disorientated, with multiple injuries all over his body. But he seems to be out of danger.”
The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, with officials stating that the jet’s black box has been recovered and will be examined.
The police have not yet provided a final count of the fatalities, both from the plane and those on the ground.
Following the crash, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site and issued a statement expressing the nation’s sorrow over the air tragedy.
He stated: “The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words. Condolences to all the bereaved families. We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come. Om Shanti.”