Instinct to live saved Ramesh by seconds, sole survivor of plane crash recounts horror

Ahmedabad, June 13 (IANS) In a tragedy that claimed the lives of 241 passengers, only one man survived the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh. Currently undergoing treatment at Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, Ramesh is reported to be in stable condition. 

He recounted the harrowing moments of the crash and his miraculous escape.

"Everything burned before my eyes," said Ramesh, recalling how the aircraft abruptly halted for a few seconds during takeoff, only to suddenly lurch forward with the runway lights flashing green and white. “It felt like the pilot struggled to lift the plane. Moments later, we slammed into a building. The entire plane turned into an inferno before I could process what was happening.”

Ramesh was seated in the section of the aircraft that struck the lower portion of the hostel building. “The part I was in hit the building first,” he said. “I fell with my seat as the structure collapsed. Luckily, there was some open space in front of me, and I crawled out. But on the other side of the plane, there was a wall no one could escape. I saw two air hostesses and an elderly couple engulfed in flames. My left hand was burned. But I lived. A few seconds later, I might not have.”

Ramesh, a resident of Leicester, UK, was travelling with his brother Ajay on flight AI-171 to London. His other brother, Nayan, confirmed that while Vishwas was safe and recovering, Ajay remains missing. “We’ve spoken to Vishwas. He’s in the hospital, but we still have no news of Ajay. We’re holding onto hope,” he said.

Meanwhile, the process of identifying victims from the tragic Air India Flight AI-171 crash continues at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where bodies are being brought in for post-mortem examinations. As of now, five bodies have been identified and respectfully handed over to their families.

These include two victims from Rajasthan, two from Bhavnagar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.

Civil Hospital officials confirmed that DNA samples have been collected from 192 families so far. To support the identification process, a large team of 70 to 80 doctors, including those from PHCs and CHCs across Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Anand, and Nadiad, has been working around the clock in the post-mortem room since Thursday.

Picture Courtesy: IANS