The lone survivor of the catastrophic Air India Flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad has shared his astonishing account of how he escaped death, as the death toll from the tragedy has risen to 265.

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, was seated in 11A next to the emergency exit of the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner when it crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday.

Speaking to doctors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, Ramesh recounted that the aircraft broke apart mid-air just minutes into the flight. “The plane broke, and my seat came off. That is how I was saved,” he said. Still strapped to his seat, Ramesh was flung clear of the wreckage and escaped the massive fire that engulfed the rest of the aircraft after it slammed into a medical college hostel in the Meghaninagar area.

Rescue teams found Ramesh with visible injuries, and he is currently under observation in the trauma ward. A video of him, bruised and bloodied, limping toward an ambulance while onlookers bombard him with questions, has gone viral on social media. His miraculous survival amid one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s history has sparked awe and widespread emotional reactions online.

Flight AI171 was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport when it crashed into the BJ Medical College doctors’ hostel, killing nearly all 242 people on board and many more on the ground. Investigations into the crash are ongoing with the involvement of international aviation experts.