Air India Flight 171 survivor tells family he is 'fine' after aircraft crashes moments after takeoff in Indian city of Ahmedabad
The British man who survived a fiery plane crash in India that claimed the lives of 241 other passengers has told family he is "fine" and suffered only minor injuries.
Air India Flight 171 had departed from an Ahmedabad airport in the country's west bound for London's Gatwick Airport on Thursday but slammed into a hostel for doctors.
Verified footage showed the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner slowly descending about 10 seconds after lifting from the runway before it hit buildings and exploded into flames.
Air India on Friday morning confirmed 241 of the 242 passengers and crew were killed.
The sole survivor has been named as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, a British-Indian national who was assigned seat 11A, according to officials and media on the ground.
The Hindustan Times said the survivor is receiving treatment in hospital.
"Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly," Mr Ramesh told the outlet from hospital.
'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. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.'
Unverified footage showed him walking away from the site of the crash helped by locals.
The BBC also spoke to his relative Ajay Valgi in the city of Leicester, about two-hours north-west of London, who said he called to say he was "fine".
Mr Ramesh had been travelling with his brother. He is among those killed.
Former FAA safety inspector David Soucie told CNN he was surprised to hear there was any survivors, particularly if he was seated in 11A.
"(The seat) is right where the spar of the wing would go under and it would be a solid place for the aircraft to hit the ground, but as far as survivability above it," he said.
Air India confirmed there were 230 passengers and 12 crew on board, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals.
The death toll has reportedly climbed to at least 290 people dead.
Dozens of other people on the ground including residents and those inside the BJ Medical College and Hospital are among those killed, a health official said.
About 50 to 60 medical students inside at the time have been taken to hospital.
A senior police official said 269 bodies had arrived at the main hospital so far.
According to aviation tracker Flightradar24, Air India Flight 171 departed just after 1.30pm (local time) and reached an altitude of 625 feet before it crashed.
The National Transport Safety Board said a team of US investigators will be flown over to India to support local authorities to find the exact cause of the incident.
British Air Accidents Investigation Branch has also offered its assistance.
This is a developing story. More to come.
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7NEWS
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News.com.au
9 hours ago
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