The survivor of the Air-India flight described his escaping-Diepresse.com
The only surviving passenger of the Air India flight 171 only has slight burns on one hand.
After the crash of an Air India machine in Ahmedabad in West India, the only surviving passenger described how he survived the accident. « Everything happened before my eyes and I couldn’t believe how I managed to get out alive, » said Vishwash Kumar Ramesh on Friday from his bedside from the Indian broadcaster DD News. The 40-year-old is currently being treated in the hospital for burns and other injuries.
Already « one minute after the start » it felt as if something was wrong, said Ramesh in the interview. « I realized that something happened and then suddenly the green and white lights went on. » After that, the machine apparently flown faster – « directly towards something that turned out to be a hospital. » Then the huge Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft fell into a residential area in the immediate vicinity of Ahmedabad Airport.
« At first I also thought that I would die right away »
« At first I also thought that I would die right away, but when I opened my eyes, I realized that I was still alive, » Ramesh continued. He saw a lifeless stewardess and older passengers in front of him. « I opened my seat belt and tried to escape and it worked, » said the 40-year-old, who, according to media reports, was in number 11 a near the emergency exit.
His side of the aircraft apparently did not appear on the building, said Ramesh. She was « closer to the ground » and when the aircraft door opened, he saw that there was enough space for him to get out. Ramesh was seen on videos that were distributed in online networks, how he limped into an ambulance in a blood-smeared T-shirt.
Slight burns on one hand
« I have slight burns on my left hand because of the fire, but an ambulance took me to a hospital, » said the survivor. There the staff take good care of him. In addition, Ramesh received a visit to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
Ramesh had climbed the accident machine with his brother to fly to London. According to the British news agency PA, the Briton with Indian roots lives in the central English city of Leicester. « We are happy that Vishwash was saved, but on the other hand our heart breaks us because of Ajay, » said 19-year-old Hiren Kantilal, a cousin of the brothers, in Leicester on Friday.
Brother sat on the other side
Vishwash called his father on Thursday. « He had blood everywhere and said: » I’m still waiting for my brother, I don’t know how I got out of the plane, « said the cousin. Local media reported on the passenger list that Vishwash was sitting close to the emergency exit, his brother on the other side of the row of seats.
Kantilal continued to say that when Vishwash’s parents called him in the hospital, he said: « Don’t worry about me, try to find Ajay Kumar. » When the first information from the airlines entered into, the family « knew that we lost it ».
Headlines in Great Britain: « Miracle from 11a »
The aircraft accident also determines the headlines in the UK. « The Miracle of Seat 11a, » writes the newspaper « Telegraph », the « Miracle of 11a ».
According to Air India, the 230 passengers of the flight AI-171 were 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian. In addition, twelve crew members were on board. According to the police on Friday, 265 fatalities have been recovered from the aircraft wreck and from the buildings into which the machine had crashed. Among the dead are at least 24 people who were not on board the aircraft. (Ag.)
