One of the 242 people onboard the ill-fated Air India flight A1171 that crashed on Thursday, Ramesh Vishwaskumar Bucharvada has been noted the only lucky survivor.
38-year-old Ramesh, a British national, was seated in seat 11A — located right behind an emergency exit — on the flight that crashed near the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, killing more than 200 people.
A video taken moments after the crash shows an injured Ramesh walking towards an ambulance as bystanders surround him asking questions about the fate of the others on the plane.
“The plane exploded,” the man, speaking in Gujarati, is heard saying in the video. When the people around him ask him about the status of the other passengers, the man replies, “There are back there inside [at the crash site].”
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said that one passenger survived in the Air India plane crash, news agency ANI reported.
“The police found one survivor in seat 11A. One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area,” Malik said.
According Aerolopa, an online repository of airplane seating plans, seat 11A on Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners is located in the first row of the Economy class cabin. The window seat is located on the aircraft’s right and is two rows ahead of the plane’s wings.
Seat 11A is located right behind the door, which serves as emergency exits in crisis situations.
The Air India flight, bound for London Gatwick, crashed just moments after takeoff, with radar data revealing the aircraft climbed only 625 feet before disaster struck. The flight struck a hostel building of B J Medical College and Hospital.
The flight, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 pm and lost contact with air traffic control less than a minute later.
According to Ahmedabad Police Commissioner, 204 people are confirmed dead in the accident.
A dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 has been set up by Air India to provide more information. Foreign nationals can reach out on another hotline number – +91 8062779200.
