Viswashkumar and his brother had been in India for eight or nine months and were preparing to return to their family in London when disaster struck. He recounted to Reuters that just a minute after takeoff, the plane seemed to stall mid-air, and the cabin lights switched on before it crashed into a building. Viswashkumar described feeling the engine thrust increase as the plane descended rapidly, ultimately impacting the ground floor of a hostel.
He managed to escape through a small space after his door broke, while others were trapped by the building wall. He witnessed the tragic loss of the air hostess and others during the crash, which left him with burns on his left hand. After being transported to a hospital, he is recovering but remains psychologically disturbed by the incident, according to the medical director of the Civil Hospital.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited him in the hospital, where he expressed gratitude for his survival, calling it “a miracle.” His brother in the UK echoed this sentiment but was deeply concerned about their third brother who was also on the ill-fated flight.
In total, the Air India flight carried 230 passengers and 12 crew members, with 241 fatalities reported, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, a Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals. Viswashkumar’s extraordinary escape amid such tragedy highlighted the complex emotions surrounding survival and loss in the aftermath of the crash.
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