Ramesh Viswashkumar, the only confirmed survivor among the 242 passengers on board the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, was reportedly seated near an emergency exit and managed to escape by jumping out, according to police. Speaking from his hospital bed, the 40-year-old British national told Indian media that he was traveling to the UK with his brother after visiting family in India. “When I got up, there were bodies everywhere. I was terrified. I ran. Debris from the plane was all around,” Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times. He said a bystander helped him into an ambulance and brought him to the hospital. It remains unclear if he jumped out before or after the crash.

Footage aired on Indian news channels showed a man matching Viswashkumar’s description—bloodstained and limping—being assisted by a medic. In the video, the man says, “They’re all inside,” when asked about other passengers. According to a photo of his boarding pass shared online, Viswashkumar was in seat 11A on the London-bound flight to Gatwick. He said his brother Ajay was seated elsewhere on the plane and pleaded for help locating him. “He was near the emergency exit and managed to jump out,” confirmed senior police officer Vidhi Chaudhary.

A UK-based relative, who wished to remain unnamed, told Reuters the family had spoken with Viswashkumar but declined to share further details. His cousin, Ajay Valgi, based in Leicester, told the BBC that Viswashkumar had phoned to confirm he was safe, but didn’t elaborate further. The family has not received any news about his brother and is deeply distressed. Viswashkumar is married and has a son.

The crash occurred in a residential area, striking a medical college hostel near the airport around lunchtime, making it the deadliest aviation disaster globally in the past ten years. More than 240 lives were lost, including some on the ground. Earlier reports of 294 fatalities were revised due to double-counting of body parts. Police stated that Viswashkumar is the only confirmed survivor so far, but search and rescue efforts are ongoing, and more survivors may yet be found.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.