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‘Oh the plane has crashed’: What lone Air India crash survivor said in video call to father
Of the 242 people on the Air India plane, only Ramesh miraculously survived, while his brother who was also on the aircraft, was among the 241 killed.
The lone survivor of the Air India plane that crashed on Thursday on a residential building in Gujarat's Ahmedabad was travelling with his brother, who was among the 241 others on board who died in the tragedy, one of India's worst aviation disasters ever.
Of the 242 people on the plane, only Viswash Kumar Ramesh miraculously survived, with he himself saying that he could not believe he was alive when he opened his eyes and found him surrounded by flames, charred bodies as well as debris.
Ramesh, who was seated on 11A, said the aircraft felt like it got stuck in midair within a few seconds of takeoff. Green and white lights flashed as soon as it took off, Ramesh had said, adding that the aircraft accelerated but seemed unable to gain height before the plane struck a medical college hostel in a residential area.
Ramesh's brother was one of those who were killed in the crash.
Ramesh video-called father after crash
Survivor's another brother said that Ramesh called his father moments after the crash to say he had survived but wasn't aware of what happened to his sibling who was on the flight with him.
“He video called my dad as he crashed and said, ‘Oh the plane’s crashed. I don’t know where my brother is. I don’t see any other passengers. I don’t know how I’m alive, how I exited the plane,’” Nayan Kumar Ramesh told Sky News.
Ramesh’s cousin, Ajay Valgi, told the BBC that Ramesh called relatives in Leicester, England, after the crash.
“He only said that he’s fine, nothing else,” Valgi said, adding that Ramesh has a wife and a “little boy” at home. The family is happy that Ramesh is fine, but they are "still upset about the other brother,” Valgi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who went to the crash site Friday, also visited the Ramesh in the hospital where he is undergoing treatment.
“I told PM Modi what all I had witnessed. He also enquired about my health,” Ramesh said from his bed.
“Even I can't believe how I came out of it alive. For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too. But when I opened my eyes and looked around, I realized I was alive. I still can't believe how I survived,” Vishwash Kumar recalled the sequence of the events after the impact near Meghani Nagar area.
