Survivor of Air India Crash Jumps Out of Emergency Exit, Police Report

NEW DELHI, June 12 (Reuters) – Ramesh Viswashkumar, the only known survivor of the devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, managed to escape by jumping out of an emergency exit, according to police reports. The crash, which tragically claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew, occurred on a London-bound flight, leaving the world in shock.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Viswashkumar, 40, revealed to Indian media that he had been seated near the emergency exit on the flight, which was en route to Gatwick Airport. He had been traveling with his brother after visiting family in India.

“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,” Viswashkumar recounted to the Hindustan Times. “Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance, and that’s how I ended up in the hospital.”

It remains unclear whether Viswashkumar managed to exit the plane before it made impact or if he was able to flee the wreckage afterward. Social media footage from Indian news channels showed a man limping on the street in a bloodstained white t-shirt and dark pants. The man, with bruises on his face and a goatee beard, resembled photographs of Viswashkumar in the hospital after the crash. The authenticity of the video, showing the man being assisted by a medic, could not be independently verified.

The video captured bystanders asking the survivor about the whereabouts of the other passengers, to which he responded, “They’re all inside.” This statement sent shockwaves through viewers, highlighting the scale of the tragedy.

Viswashkumar’s boarding pass, which was shown online by the Hindustan Times, confirmed that he had been seated in seat 11A of the plane. He told the paper that his brother, Ajay, was seated in a different row. Viswashkumar had asked for help in locating him, but no further updates have been received.

Police confirmed that Viswashkumar had been seated near the emergency exit and had managed to escape by jumping out the emergency door. “He was near the emergency exit and managed to escape by jumping out the emergency door,” stated Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior police officer in Ahmedabad.

A family member of Viswashkumar, based in the UK, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that he had survived and that the family was in regular contact with him. However, they declined to share further details at this stage.

Ajay Valgi, Viswashkumar’s cousin in Leicester, England, spoke to the BBC, stating that Viswashkumar had confirmed he was fine during a phone call. “He only said that he was fine, nothing else,” Valgi shared. “We haven’t heard anything about his brother, and we’re not doing well. We’re all upset.”

Viswashkumar, who is married and has one child, a son, is now recovering in the hospital as rescue operations continue.

The crash occurred in a residential area, where the plane collided with a medical college hostel just outside the airport, during lunchtime. This devastating disaster is considered the worst aviation tragedy in a decade. The crash claimed the lives of more than 240 people, including those on the ground. Initially, the death toll was reported as 294, but police later clarified that some body parts had been double-counted, and the corrected figure stands at 241.

Authorities have confirmed that Viswashkumar is the only known survivor so far, but they noted that rescue operations are still ongoing, and it is possible that more details will emerge in the coming hours.