“I Just Jumped Out”: British Survivor Recounts Horror of Air India Crash

The sole survivor of Thursday’s devastating Air India crash has recounted the terrifying moments when he cheated death by leaping from the wreckage.

British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, miraculously walked away from the crash that killed 241 of the 242 people on board. The London-based father is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Ahmedabad, where he shared the moment he realized he was still alive.

“I thought I was going to d!e,” he told Indian broadcaster Doordarshan from his hospital bed. “But when I opened my eyes, I was alive. I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of there.”

Ramesh, who was seated next to the emergency door, said the impact of the crash tore the door off, revealing a small opening near the base of the wrecked plane.

“There was some space. When the door broke, I saw that space and I just jumped out,” he said. “I ran. I don’t know how.”

According to Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who examined him, Ramesh suffered multiple injuries but is now in stable condition.

Ramesh described how the flight seemed to struggle shortly after takeoff. “It felt like the plane had got stuck,” he said, explaining that the aircraft then surged forward and slammed into a building. The jet broke apart on impact, quickly catching fire.

His seat, 11A, crashed into the ground floor—likely shielding him from the worst of the destruction. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran,” he recalled. “Someone grabbed me and got me into an ambulance.”

Tragically, Ramesh’s brother, who was also on the flight, is presumed dead.

India’s Prime Minister met with Ramesh and others injured on the ground during a hospital visit Friday, as investigations into the cause of the crash continue.