Viswashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad, India, is recounting the harrowing moments that led to his miraculous survival. The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday, killing everyone on board except Ramesh.
Speaking from his hospital bed, the 40-year-old British national described the moments leading up to the crash. He was seated in 11A when, just after takeoff, the plane felt like it "froze" in the air. "Within five to 10 seconds, it felt like the plane was 'stuck in the air'," Ramesh told DD News. The lights inside the aircraft began to flicker erratically, alternating between green and white. Suddenly, the plane "slammed into a building and exploded." The aircraft crashed into a building used as accommodation for doctors at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital.
Ramesh recalls the sheer disbelief he felt upon realizing he was alive amidst the carnage. "I can't believe myself how I came out of it alive, because for a while I thought I was going to die as well," he said. "But when I opened my eyes, I saw that I was alive. So I tried to open my seat belt, and I was able to get out."
He explained that his section of the plane landed near the ground floor of the hostel, and the impact had broken the emergency door. "When my door broke, I saw there was a bit of space," Ramesh recounted. "So I tried to get out and I was able to get out." He emphasized that the opposite side of the aircraft was completely blocked by the building's wall, making escape impossible for anyone seated there.
Viswashkumar also recounted the horror of witnessing the deaths of those around him. "I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me," he said. Despite the chaos and his own injuries, Ramesh's immediate concern was for his brother, Ajay, who was seated across the aisle in 11J. "When he called us he was just more worried about my other brother, like 'Find Ajay, find Ajay,'" his brother Nayan told the BBC. Tragically, Ajay was among those killed in the crash.
Video footage circulating on social media shows Ramesh, visibly shaken and with bloodied clothing, limping towards an ambulance. He sustained lacerations and a burn on his left hand but is reported to be out of danger. Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who treated Ramesh at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, said he was "disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body" but stable.
Experts suggest that a combination of factors contributed to Ramesh's survival, including luck and the specific circumstances of the crash. Stephen Wood, an associate clinical professor at Northeastern University, noted that while seat 11A isn't typically the safest part of the plane, the fuselage detaching without crushing the area where Ramesh was seated was crucial. The fact that he was near a broken emergency exit also hastened his escape, reducing his exposure to smoke and fire.
Indian authorities have launched an investigation into the crash, with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The aircraft's black box has been recovered, which should provide valuable data to investigators. Air India has been directed to conduct extra safety checks on its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 planes as a precautionary measure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and met with Ramesh in the hospital. While the investigation continues, Ramesh's survival remains a remarkable and bittersweet story amidst immense tragedy.
