Gujarat air crash: How 'miracle' seat 11A saved the only survivor - 'Plane was in pieces, I stood up and ran'

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh

It felt unbelievable at first, but soon after the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, a video started spreading on social media. It showed a man walking away from the wreckage, his shirt covered in blood. That man was later identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen of Indian origin, and the lone survivor among the 242 people on board.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, 40-year-old Ramesh said from his hospital bed, “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise, and then the crash. It all happened so fast.” He had travelled to India with his brother Ajay to visit family. They were returning to the UK on the ill-fated flight, but were seated in different rows. Ramesh said he still doesn’t know what happened to his brother.

As per the HT report, Vishwash still had his boarding pass, showing he was seated in 11A, an emergency exit row near the left wing of the plane. Police officer Vidhi Chaudhary confirmed to The Economic Times that his position had helped him escape through the emergency door. Ramesh allegedly jumped from the aircraft at the last moment and saved his life, according to a TOI report.

“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital,” HT quoted him as saying.

In the viral video clips, Ramesh can be seen stumbling through debris, bloodied and dazed, shouting: “Plane fatyo che! Plane fatyo che! (the plane exploded).” In the hospital, he cried out, “Where is my brother,” TOI quoted him as saying.

Ramesh managed to survive and even called his family from the hospital to say he was safe. His cousin, Ajay Valgi, told CNN in Leicester that while the family was relieved he had survived, they were heartbroken over the loss of his brother and the others.

Doctors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital said Ramesh had only minor injuries and was doing well. “He is under observation but is stable and may be discharged soon. There’s some internal bleeding, but overall, he’s not seriously hurt,” CNN quoted Dr Rajnish Patel, who heads the surgery department.

The Air India flight was carrying 242 people, including 10 crew members. The passengers included 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian.