One of the two survivors of the plane crash in India responded to the crash on Thursday. Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh describes to the Indian newspaper Hindustan Times how the plane crashed and how he was cared for by emergency services.
Forty-year-old Ramesh was on board the plane with his five-year-older brother Ajay. He was in seat 11A and still had his boarding pass in his pocket. The brothers had been visiting family in India for a few days. The plane with which they were flying back to England crashed this afternoon shortly after takeoff in the city of Ahmedabad.
“Thirty seconds after takeoff, we heard a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so fast, it was over in an instant,” Ramesh told Hindustan Times from his hospital bed. He is being treated for injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet.
“When I came to, there were bodies and pieces of the plane all around me. I was scared, got up and ran away. Then someone grabbed me and I was taken to the hospital by ambulance.”
BBC News spoke with Ajay Valgi, a family member of the brothers. Valgi confirmed Ramesh’s identity and said that he had called the family to say that he was okay. “He is not only my cousin, but also one of my best friends,” Valgi said. “This is terrible. Not only for us, but for everyone involved in this disaster.”
Ramesh appears to be the only occupant of the plane to have survived the crash. In addition, a survivor was found in the building where the plane had crashed, a residence for doctors. The 241 other occupants of the plane have in all likelihood not survived the disaster, Indian police said. About fifty fatal victims fell on the ground.
