Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of a disastrous Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, recounts his miraculous escape from the wreckage and the traumatic moments he witnessed.
Survivor Recounts Harrowing Escape from Air India Crash
Survivor Recounts Harrowing Escape from Air India Crash
A British man shares his incredible story of survival after an Air India plane crash claimed the lives of 200.
In the wake of Thursday's tragic incident, 40-year-old Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a businessman from Leicester, relayed the harrowing details of his survival from his hospital bed. Ramesh was aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad en route to London. He described an overwhelming sequence of events that began with the lights flickering inside the aircraft before it tragically slammed into a medical building.
As the sole survivor among the passengers and crew, who included 169 Indian nationals and 52 British nationals, Ramesh unbuckled himself and found an escape route through an opening in the fuselage. He recalled, “I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening, and crawled out.” The plane had collided with a structure adjacent to the airport, but the section where he was seated landed near the ground, allowing him to escape when the door broke open.
“People were dying around me - the air hostesses, individuals close to me,” he recounted in shock. Ramesh described how he feared he was going to die, yet miraculously found himself alive among the wreckage.
Investigators have begun their inquiry into the cause of the crash, and officials noted that one black box has been recovered to aid in the investigation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and hospital on Friday to support the injured and grieving families.
Ramesh's brother was also on the plane, and though they have communicated since the crash, the family is seeking further support from the British government. Ramesh, who has lived in the UK since 2003 and is also a father to a four-year-old son, continues to recover from his injuries while reflecting on the trauma of the disaster.
The tragedy has prompted tributes for those lost, as the investigation and recovery efforts continue.
As the sole survivor among the passengers and crew, who included 169 Indian nationals and 52 British nationals, Ramesh unbuckled himself and found an escape route through an opening in the fuselage. He recalled, “I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening, and crawled out.” The plane had collided with a structure adjacent to the airport, but the section where he was seated landed near the ground, allowing him to escape when the door broke open.
“People were dying around me - the air hostesses, individuals close to me,” he recounted in shock. Ramesh described how he feared he was going to die, yet miraculously found himself alive among the wreckage.
Investigators have begun their inquiry into the cause of the crash, and officials noted that one black box has been recovered to aid in the investigation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and hospital on Friday to support the injured and grieving families.
Ramesh's brother was also on the plane, and though they have communicated since the crash, the family is seeking further support from the British government. Ramesh, who has lived in the UK since 2003 and is also a father to a four-year-old son, continues to recover from his injuries while reflecting on the trauma of the disaster.
The tragedy has prompted tributes for those lost, as the investigation and recovery efforts continue.
