A passenger who survived the crash of Air India flight AI 171 on Thursday recounted the terrifying moments of the incident, describing a loud noise just 30 seconds after takeoff. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, bound for London with 242 people on board, crashed shortly after departing from Ahmedabad, India, resulting in the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade, with more than 200 lives lost.
Ramesh Viswashkumar, The sole survivor of the Air India crash escaped by jumping from the plane. He was on seat number 11A. #AirIndia #AhmedabadNews #Gujarat #PlaneCrash #ITReel pic.twitter.com/NsMBeZOkbX
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) June 12, 2025
The survivor, 40-year-old Ramesh Viswashkumar, was seated in seat 11A according to his boarding pass, which has since circulated on social media. “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,” Viswashkumar told The Hindustan Times from his hospital bed. “It all happened so quickly.”
Viswashkumar described waking up to chaos. “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,” he said. “Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.” He also spoke of his concern for his brother, Ajay, who was seated elsewhere on the plane. “He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” he pleaded.
A video shared by India Today showed an injured Viswashkumar limping towards an ambulance, surrounded by onlookers.
The aircraft crashed in a residential area, hitting a medical college hostel just outside Ahmedabad Airport during lunch hour. The plane was en route to Gatwick Airport near London. Ahmedabad police chief GS Malik initially reported that there were no survivors, but later confirmed that Viswashkumar was the sole survivor, currently receiving treatment in a hospital.
