The British man and only survivor of the Air India plane crash that killed 270 people has spoken out about what happened.
The AI 171 flight crashed only moments after taking off on June 12 from India’s Ahmedabad Airport. It was scheduled for London Gatwick at 6.25pm local time.
It has since been reported that there was only one survivor, 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
Police Commissioner GS Malik shared: “The police found one survivor in seat 11A. One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment.
“Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area.”
Footage of the man walking away from the crash has since gone viral. He shared with the Hindustan Times: “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,”
“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital,” Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times.
He shared that his brother Ajay was seated in a different part of the plane. “When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. “Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white.
“The aircraft wasn’t gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded. “I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me […] I walked out of the rubble.” He said: “I think the side I was on was not facing the hostel. I don’t know about others.” At first, I thought I was dead. Later, I realised I was still alive and saw an opening in the fuselage.” he shared.
“He [Viswashkumar] was near the emergency exit and managed to escape by jumping out the emergency door,” said Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior police officer in Ahmedabad. Sadly, his brother did not make it. He told The Sun: “I lost my brother in front of my eyes.”
The police shared that 270 bodies were pulled from the wreck.
The two pilots in control of the plane were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder.
Currently under investigation, what caused the crash has not been shared but India’s aviation regulator shared they gave a mayday call to air traffic control but that was the last contact they had.
Sabharwal reportedly said: “Mayday […] no thrust, losing power, unable to lift.”
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the Chairman of Air India, shared a statement following the tragedy: “With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight, AI171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.”