Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Here's how the lone survivor of Air India tragedy escaped death, says, 'I thought I was...'

Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, an Indian-origin British national, emerged as the lone survivor of the deadly Air India flight AI171 crash in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. As the ill-fated plane slammed into a medical college hostel building moments after its take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ramesh managed to walk out of the debris, looking for his brother who wasn't as fortunate as him. 

The tragedy, one of the worst disasters in aviation history, occurred at 1:38 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, i.e., June 12. The Air India plane, bound to London, crashed seconds after its departure, slamming into a multi-storey medical college hostel in the Meghaninagar area. The plane was carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members. Of which, 241 people tragically died in the deadly crash, leaving Ramesh as the lone survivor. 

According to officials, five medical students on the ground also died as the plane struck the hostel building. As per media reports, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, 40, was seated in seat number 11A. "Everything happened in front of my eyes. I thought I would die," he told Doordarshan. 

The seat 11A mystery 

Seat 11A is positioned in the first row of economy class, close to the emergency exits on the left side. When the aircraft struck the ground, the front-left part of the plane collapsed into the ground floor of the hostel building. According to Ramesh, there was some room for escape. "When the door broke, I saw that space and I just jumped out", he said while speaking to Doordarshan. 

"The door must've broken on impact. There was a wall on the opposite side, but near me, it was open. I ran. I don't know how", he recounted. Moreover, photos from the crash site confirmed his account. The midsection and tail of the plane had been reduced to rubble while the front section was partially broken. 

"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 and aunty uncle all died before my eyes", he said. 

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital and met with the injured. He also met Ramesh and enquired about his well-being. "He asked me what happened. I told him I don't know how I lived. It all happened so fast", Ramesh said.