British man describes how he escaped Air India wreckage

The British man who was the sole survivor of Thursday’s Air India plane crash said he managed to escape the wreckage through an opening in the fuselage.

“I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening, and crawled out,” Vishwashkumar Ramesh told Indian state media DD News.

Mr Ramesh, 40, was in seat 11A on the London-bound Boeing 787 flight when it went down shortly after take off in Ahmedabad, western India on Thursday.

Air India said all other passengers and crew were killed – including 169 Indian nationals and 52 British nationals. More than 200 bodies have been recovered so far, though it is unclear how many were passengers and how many were from the ground.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Mr Ramesh said the lights inside the aircraft “started flickering” moments after take off.

Within five to 10 seconds, it felt like the plane was “stuck in the air”, he said.

“The lights started flickering green and white…suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.”

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a building used as accommodation for doctors at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital.

Mr Ramesh told the Indian broadcaster he could not believe that he came out alive.

“I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me,” he said.

“For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too, but when I opened my eyes and looked around, I realised I was alive.

“I still can’t believe how I survived. I walked out of the rubble.”