Ahmedabad: The only passenger to survive the catastrophic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is currently in a state of shock as he recovers in hospital. The British-Indian national was seated in 11A, right beside the emergency door, which tore off when the Dreamliner struck a building shortly after take-off.
On Friday morning (June 13), Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and met Kumar, calling the tragedy “heartbreaking beyond words.”
In an interview with Doordarshan, he said, “I don’t know how I came out of it alive,” struggling to piece together how he escaped the burning wreckage that killed everyone else in his vicinity. “For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive. I opened my seat belt and got out of there," he added.
'The Airhostess and Aunty-Uncle Died Before My Eyes'
Kumar recalled the terrifying moments following impact. “In front of my eyes two airhostess…” he trailed off, choking with emotion. “The fire started moments later and it burnt my arm. The airhostess and aunty uncle all died before my eyes.”
Kumar said that he believes his survival was due to his position near a ground-floor gap when the aircraft crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel. “The building wall was on the opposite side and I don’t think anyone was able to come out that way,” he added.
Plane 'Got Stuck', Then Crashed in Seconds
Recalling the moments before the crash, Kumar said it all happened within seconds. “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,A minute after the take-off, it felt like the plane had got stuck. Then green and white lights came on. They (the pilots) tried to rise the plane but it went full speed and crashed into the building.”
The accident killed 241 people aboard, including passengers and crew, in addition to several medical students and residents housed in the hostel, where it collided. According to reports at least 5 students were declared dead, with over 60 severely injured.
