Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the recent plane crash in Ahmedabad, recounted his terrifying ordeal on Friday, shortly after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a conversation with a national broadcaster, he described how his seat, 11-A, was positioned in a section of the aircraft that impacted the ground floor of a building it collided with. Vishwash, a British citizen of Indian descent, managed to unfasten his seatbelt and exit the plane, although he suffered burns on his left hand due to the ensuing fire.

Reflecting on the traumatic event, he stated, “All I could see were the bodies of fellow passengers and crew members. The side where I was seated was not adjacent to the hostel; it was on the ground floor.”

He continued, “I can’t speak for others, but the area where I was seated landed on the ground floor, and there was some space. When my door broke, I noticed a gap and made my escape.”

Vishwash explained that a wall from the building was on the opposite side, which likely prevented others from escaping. “I don’t know how I survived. My left hand was burned when the fire erupted. Afterward, I was taken to the hospital, where the care has been excellent,” he added.

His survival is indeed remarkable. At one point, he believed he would perish, yet he managed to escape. “PM Modi inquired about the incident. It all unfolded right before my eyes, and I couldn’t comprehend how I was saved,” he shared.

Vishwash described the moments leading up to the crash, stating, “For about 5-10 seconds after takeoff, it felt like we were stuck. The plane’s green and white lights were illuminated. I believe the aircraft accelerated for takeoff and then crashed into the hostel building. It all happened so quickly.”

Earlier that day, Prime Minister Modi visited the crash site to assess the situation, following the tragic incident involving Air India flight AI-171, which crashed shortly after departing from Ahmedabad International Airport.

During his visit, PM Modi also met with the injured at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Tragically, 241 individuals, including 12 crew members, lost their lives in the crash, as confirmed by Air India.

The ill-fated flight, which was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, 2025, had on board 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.

The aircraft crashed into a hostel for resident doctors near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport shortly after takeoff.

The flight was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with over 8,200 hours of flying experience, alongside First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours. According to Air Traffic Control, the aircraft took off from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23.

It issued a Mayday call to ATC but subsequently failed to respond. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft fell outside the airport perimeter.