'Can't believe how I came out alive': Air India plane crash lone survivor

Ramesh, a British-Indian who was returning to the UK after a visit to India,  survived the crash miraculously.

"Even I can't believe how I came out of it alive. For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too. But when I opened my eyes and looked around, I realized I was alive. I still can't believe how I survived," Ramesh reacted to his survival story as quoted by Hindustan Times.

In a cell phone video that is being circulated online, the lone survivor was seen walking with a limp, indicating a leg injury. His clothes had blood stains and smudges of soot.

"The police found one survivor in seat 11A,"  Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

A London-bound Air India flight- AI 171- carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed near the Ahmedabad airport within seconds after take-off in the largest city of Gujarat.

In the horrific videos that have surfaced, a thick smoke is seen rising from the areas close to the airport.

In a video that has captured the moment of the crash, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is seen losing the elevation near the airport and ultimately crashes into the residential quarters of a medical college causing a massive fire outbreak.

The aircraft, a former state-owned carrier which was taken over by Tata Group in 2022, was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members.

Out of 230 passengers, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national.

Emergency services, including fire brigades, rushed to the scene. Three NDRF teams with 90 personnel were dispatched from Gandhinagar, with additional teams also sent from Vadodara.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his initial reaction said on Thursday, 'We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words. Condolences to all the bereaved families. We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come. Om Shanti."

On Friday, the Prime Minister travelled to Ahmedabad and visited the crash site.

Accompanied by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other officials, Modi inspected the crash site.

The Prime Minister also met the lone survivor at the hospital.