The sole British survivor of the catastrophic Air India plane disaster, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, has opened up about the terrifying ordeal, recounting how just before the crash, the “lights started flickering”. From his hospital bed, the 40-year-old told DD News: “I still can’t believe how I survived” on Friday after enduring a nightmare.
Reliving the moments leading up to the crash, Mr Ramesh described a harrowing scene aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which met a fiery end after striking a medical college saying “it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.” On Thursday, the deadly crash claimed the lives of all but one of the 242 individuals on board. There were 53 British citizens on the flight, and it was the first major accident involving a 787 Dreamliner.
He said: “For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too…But when I opened my eyes and looked around, I realised I was alive.”
Mr Ramesh was seated in 11A, right by an emergency exit, potentially playing a crucial role in his survival. He said: “When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air.”
Mr Ramesh then spoke of the bizarre flickering lights seen just before the disaster: “Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white.”
The aircraft’s failure to ascend was followed by a sudden and devastating impact, as he chillingly recounted, “The aircraft wasn’t gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.”
He said: “At first, I thought I was dead…Later, I realised I was still alive and saw an opening in the fuselage.”
He continued: “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.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and was seen speaking with Mr Ramesh in the hospital. Concerns are mounting over the potential increase in casualties on the ground. Authorities are investigating to determine what led to the catastrophic event.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “devastated” by the tragedy in Ahmedabad after a visit to Thursday’s Air India crash site.
“The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words. Condolences to all the bereaved families,” he wrote in a post on X.
“We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come. Om Shanti.”
Air India has set up friends and relatives assistance centres at Gatwick, Mumbai, Dehli and Ahmedabad airports to provide support in the wake of AI171’s crash on Thursday.
“These centres are facilitating the travel of family members to Ahmedabad,” the airline said in a post on X.
