Only one person survived the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, among 242 on board, according to the police authorities.
Police report that the survivor, Ramesh Viswashkumar, was seated near the emergency exit on the London-bound flight and managed to jump out during the crash.
The 40-year-old Viswashkumar, speaking from the hospital, said he is a British national traveling to the UK with his brother after visiting family in India. He described the moment of the crash:
“When I stood up, there were bodies all around me. I was very scared and ran. There were plane parts everywhere. Someone grabbed me, put me in an ambulance, and took me to the hospital.”
It is unclear whether Viswashkumar managed to jump out before the plane hit the ground or during the impact.
Footage broadcast on Indian news channels showed a man in a bloodstained white shirt and dark pants, limping on the street with bruises on his face, being helped by a medic. This man closely resembles images of Viswashkumar taken at the hospital.
A photo of Viswashkumar’s boarding pass revealed he was seated in seat 11A on the plane bound for Gatwick Airport. His brother, Ajay, was seated in a different row, and Viswashkumar asked for help in finding him.
Ahmedabad police stated, “He was sitting near the emergency exit and managed to escape by jumping out of that door.”
A family member living in the UK confirmed to Reuters that Viswashkumar survived but declined to provide further details. His cousin told the BBC that Viswashkumar contacted them by phone and said he was fine, but they have no information about his brother.
The plane crashed into a medical college hostel near the airport. This is considered the worst aviation disaster in the last decade. More than 240 people lost their lives, including some on the ground. Police clarified that the previously reported death toll of 294 was incorrect due to double counting of body parts.
Police said that while Viswashkumar is the only confirmed survivor so far, rescuers do not rule out the possibility of other survivors among the injured.
Ahmedabad police chief Vidhi Chaudhary added, “There may be other survivors among the injured receiving treatment at the hospital.”
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