JAKARTA - A miracle occurred in the tragic crash of an Indian Air plane that killed 241 people, including dozens of casualties on the ground, on Thursday 12 June in Ahmedababad, India.
In the midst of the plane's cracked debris after takeoff, only one passenger managed to survive, namely Viswashkumar Ramesh.
According to Stephen Wood, an emergency medical service (EMS) expert from Northeastern University, Ramesh's safety is the result of a rare combination of factors. However, the most decisive thing is luck.
"The opportunity to survive an air accident this bad is very small. The fact that he is still alive is something extraordinary," Wood was quoted as saying by News Northeastern, Saturday, June 14.
Ramesh sits in the ranks of the emergency doors, areas that are usually at high risk because they are close to fuel tanks and the main structure of the wings.
Even though the place was vulnerable, it actually created a safety bag and became a small area on board with a small impact, fire, and damage to the structure, allowing a person to survive.
After the plane crashed, Ramesh's seat landed on the ground floor of a building and its doors opened, creating a gap to escape.
He immediately took off his seat belt and forced himself out of the fuselage, according to an Associated Press news agency report.
"The fact that he is near the exit is very helpful for the rapid evacuation process and minimizes exposure to smoke and flames," Wood explained.
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Wood added that this kind of incident is very rare in the history of air accidents. Previously, only eight major accidents recorded more than 100 fatalities with one survivor. Including the incidents in Cuba in 2018 and Yemen in 2009.
A series of conditions must be right, namely the position of the body, the angle of the impact, the condition of the cabin, and the possibility of rescue or self-evacuation. All of this must be combined so that a person can come out alive," concluded Wood.
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