More than 260 people were killed when an Air India flight crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, India, just minutes after takeoff on Thursday. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was carrying 242 people. Among the dead were passengers, crew, and at least 24 people on the ground.

Incredibly, one man survived: 43-year-old businessman Vishwashkumar Ramesh. Seated in 11A, he recalls a loud noise just seconds after takeoff—then chaos. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I ran,” he told reporters from his hospital bed. Though injured and in shock, he managed to walk away from the wreckage and was rushed to the hospital.

His brother, Nayan, said the family was speechless when they got the news. “He has no idea how he survived,” Nayan said. “He was just begging us to find our other brother, Ajay, who was also on the flight.”

The crash destroyed a hostel housing medical students and doctors. Witnesses described people leaping from windows to escape the flames. Officials say the jet’s 125,000 liters of fuel exploded on impact, leaving little hope for others onboard.

Air India has pledged support for victims’ families, covering medical costs for the injured and helping rebuild the damaged neighborhood. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, though one of the black boxes has been recovered.

Our hearts go out to the victims and their families in this unimaginable tragedy.