Survivor Describes Terrifying Moments as Plane Crashed in Ahmedabad
The sole survivor of the Air India crash that claimed 241 lives revealed that the emergency exit door broke open, allowing him to escape the doomed plane. Viswashkumar Ramesh, 40, recounted the harrowing experience to India's national broadcaster, still in disbelief over his miraculous survival.
Ramesh was onboard a Boeing 787 headed to London when the tragedy struck just minutes after takeoff on Thursday in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The aircraft crashed into a residential area, including a building housing students from a local medical college, resulting in additional fatalities.
According to Ramesh, the aircraft stalled shortly after takeoff, with lights flickering before the crash. As the plane failed to gain altitude, it collided with a building, causing the fuselage to split and the emergency exit door to open, allowing Ramesh to escape.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Ramesh to offer condolences and hear firsthand accounts of the disastrous event. The recovery efforts at the crash site have resulted in the retrieval of the black box, with forensic teams conducting DNA testing to identify the victims.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), with officials warning of a potential rise in the death toll as recovery operations progress.
