A British man, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is the sole survivor of a devastating Air India plane crash that killed 241 others shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India. Ramesh, who had been visiting family, was on his way back to London, where he’s lived for two decades.

Seated in 11A, he recalled a loud noise just seconds after takeoff—then everything went black. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me,” he said from his hospital bed. “I stood up and ran. Someone pulled me into an ambulance.”

Ramesh’s brother, who may have been on the same flight, is still unaccounted for. “He said, ‘I have no idea how I survived,’” shared his younger brother from Leicester. Doctors say Ramesh is disoriented but stable.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people including 53 British nationals, crashed into a medical college building, sparking a massive explosion and fire. Horrifying images showed debris embedded in the structure.

Among the victims were a British couple who ran a wellness studio in London and a Gloucester family of three. Communities across the UK and India are mourning, and UK officials have been sent to assist with the investigation.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the crash “devastating.” King Charles and Queen Camilla expressed their deepest sympathy, saying they were “desperately shocked” by the tragedy.