AHMEDABAD : The crash, which claimed 241 lives, occurred when AI-171 flight to London Gatwick slammed into a hostel building near the airport on Thursday.

Vishwash, a British citizen of Indian origin, was seated in 11A—one of the few parts of the aircraft that landed on the ground floor of the building and was not completely engulfed in flames. Speaking to Doordarshan from the hospital, he said, “The side where I was sitting wasn’t on the hostel side. That portion landed on the ground floor, and there was some space. As soon as my door broke, I saw that there was some space, and then I tried to get out, and I got out.”

He recounted the chilling moments of the crash. “After takeoff, for about 5–10 seconds, it felt like everything was stuck. Then the plane’s speed increased and it crashed. I saw green and white lights flicker before the impact.”

As flames erupted, Vishwash’s left hand was burned. “I thought I would die. But when I opened my eyes, I was alive. I removed my seat belt and escaped. I saw bodies of uncle-aunties and air hostesses everywhere.”

Prime Minister Modi, who visited the site earlier on Friday, met Vishwash at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and praised the medical teams caring for the injured.

Air India confirmed that all others onboard—including 12 crew members—died in the crash. The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

Flight AI-171 had taken off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM IST. The Boeing 787-8, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar, made a Mayday call shortly after takeoff. It then crashed into the BJ Medical College’s resident doctors’ hostel, just outside the airport perimeter.

For all the latest news from Oman and GCC, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.