“I thought I would die” – Sole survivor from Air India plane crash speaks out

Vishwaskumar Ramesh, the only survivor of the Air India plane crash headed to the United Kingdom from Ahmedabad, India, that left all 241 other passengers and crew dead, along with five more on the ground, said he “thought I would die” as he recovers in the hospital a day after the tragedy.

“Everything happened in front of my eyes. I thought I would die,” Ramesh told NDTV in an exclusive interview on Friday. 

“The door must’ve broken on impact,” Ramesh continued. “There was a wall on the opposite side, but near me, it was open. I ran. I don’t know how. I don’t know how I came out of it alive. For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive, and I opened my seat belt and got out of there. The airhostess … died before my eyes.”

Describing his escape, he explained, “The emergency door was broken. My seat was broken. Then I saw the space—just a little bit—then I tried to come out.” He added that the aircraft had caught fire shortly before he managed to exit. “Yes, okay, a little bit of fire. After I came out, then the blast.”

He later clarified that he did not jump out of the plane. "I’m not jumping, I just walked out. Then the ambulance came." He further explained, "On the floor, I exited. Inside the airplane only."

The survivor also mentioned a brief interaction with the Prime Minister during a hospital visit. “Just asked me if everything is okay. That’s it,” he said.

When asked about his family, he stated, “Me and my brother are staying in India... for the last eight, maybe nine months. And yesterday I was going back to London. Then everything happened...”

Still processing the catastrophe, he remarked, “I can’t explain. It’s a miracle... everything.”

Speaking about the crash, he recalled the immediate moments after takeoff: “Yes, within 1 minute after takeoff—suddenly, in 5–10 seconds, it felt like the aircraft got stuck. Then I felt like something was wrong. The lights in the plane turned green and white. Maybe the plane was trying to gain more speed—then at high speed, it went straight into...”

Detailing his narrow escape, he said, “No, I think the side I was on didn’t land on the hostel. The ground floor of the hostel is where the plane hit. There was a little space outside the plane, and after the door broke, I saw that space, so I tried to get out.”

He explained that the opposite side of the aircraft had sustained the full impact. “The opposite side of the building had a wall, so I don’t think anyone from that side could have made it out—because that’s where the full impact happened.”

Confirming the extent of his injuries, he noted, “When the fire started, my left hand also got burned a little. Then the ambulance picked me up and brought me here to the hospital.”

Speaking about his current condition, he added, “The treatment is very good. The people here are very supportive. They are treating me very well.”

The Air India airliner carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members was en route to the United Kingdom and crashed into a building shortly after takeoff on Thursday, leaving 246 dead, officials said. 

The victims include 241 passengers and crew members as well as five medical students who were inside the medical college and hospital the aircraft crashed into, according to hospital officials. Many others inside the building were injured — some seriously — and are receiving treatment.

Ramesh’s brother, Nayankumar Ramesh, called his brother’s survival a “miracle.” He said, “Our plane crashed, I don’t know where my brother is. I don’t see any other passengers. I don’t know how I’m alive, how I exited the plane.” He added, “Just hearing about the crash, I’m scared to fly now, to even stay on a plane.”

The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport, in India’s Gujarat state, the city’s Police Commissioner G.S. Malik said Thursday. Boeing’s Dreamliner planes had not previously been involved in an incident with passenger fatalities reported. This plane had more than 41,000 hours of flying time, considered average for this aircraft, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad. I have spoken with Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to offer our full support, and a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau,” Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a statement.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement that he’d been in touch with local officials after the crash. “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

--With Agencies Inputs--