A man miraculously survived a deadly Air India plane crash that occurred in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, authorities confirmed.

The Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed into a residential area near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport shortly after takeoff. The flight was en route to London Gatwick Airport with 242 people on board, including passengers and crew.

Officials initially feared no one had survived. However, rescue workers later discovered a 40-year-old male passenger, identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, alive among the wreckage. Remarkably, despite sustaining injuries to his chest and limbs, the man was conscious and able to walk with assistance to a waiting ambulance.

Witnesses said the survivor stumbled out of the debris covered in blood but alert. Footage circulating on social media shows the man walking away from the crash site with rescuers at his side.

Indian aviation authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the crash, which also damaged a nearby college dormitory and left dozens dead or injured on the ground.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and urged all efforts be made in rescue and recovery operations.