In the Air India plane crash that occurred on Thursday in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, the sole survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, said he still cannot believe how he survived. The Boeing 787 aircraft, operating as Air India Flight AI-171, was en route from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport when it crashed, resulting in the deaths of 241 people. There were 242 passengers on board.
British national Vishwas, the sole survivor of the Air India plane crash, was seated in seat number 11A. Currently receiving treatment at Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, Vishwas told DD News, “I still can’t believe how I survived. At first, I thought I was near death. I opened my eyes, unbuckled my seatbelt, and tried to get out.”
He mentioned that the part of the aircraft he was in did not collide with the building. While one section of the plane got lodged into a structure, the part he was seated in fell to the ground. “The door on my side had broken open. I saw a small opening and tried to escape through it,” he said.
Vishwas also recounted witnessing the deaths of the crew members and passengers in his own way. He sustained burns on his left arm. As soon as he exited the wreckage and staggered out, he was immediately taken to the hospital by ambulance.
On Friday morning, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the hospital to meet him personally.
The Air India aircraft, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into a nearby medical college hostel just moments after taking off from the runway. On board were two pilots and 12 cabin crew members, along with 230 passengers.
According to Air India, among the passengers were:
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169 Indian nationals
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53 British citizens
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7 Portuguese nationals
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1 Canadian passenger
