Opened emergency exit door, jumped off plane: Survivor recalls Kerala crash

Mundayapparambath Nahmathullah, was heading back home from Dubai to Kozhikode when the flight skidded off the runway at the Kozhikode International Airport on Friday. Luckily, he escaped with minor injuries and recounted his horror, adding that he opened the emergency exit door and jumped off the plane.

Kozhikode: Mundayapparambath Nahmathullah, one of the survivors of the plane mishap at Kozhikode, recounted the horror that folded on Friday evening as the Air India Express flight skidded off the tabletop runway.

27-year-old Nahmatullah, who is undergoing treatment at a government hospital, said that minutes after the crash he opened the emergency exit door and jumped off the plane. Few more passengers also crawled their way out of the fuselage through the emergency exit after the crashed aircraft landed.

"I was extremely happy as I was heading towards my home. But I had no clue that my homecoming would be robbed of joy," said the survivor.

"The pilot made a regular announcement before the landing and tried landing the plane at once. However, something went wrong and the flight took off again. But the plane started stumbling and two attempts by the pilot failed. Everybody thought it happened due to unfavourable weather conditions. We were waiting patiently," Nahmatullah told ETV Bharat.

"Then all of a sudden, when the flight touched the runaway it jolted heavily. We heard a big noise and people started screaming. The aircraft kept moving at a very high speed, overshot the runway and crashed. We exactly did not know what had happened.

There was huge smoke and I lost my consciousness for a few seconds. When I regained, I quickly jumped out of the emergency window to safety. I could only hear the cries of people, particularly children. People were calling for help," his voice cracked while narrating his experience.

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Recalling his horrifying experience, he added, "The plane swayed before the crash and everything plunged into darkness. It was my sheer luck that I sustained only minor injuries. A lot of passengers were bleeding profusely and I still can't comprehend what exactly happened. Whenever I try to recall it, my entire body starts shivering."

After a few minutes, people came into the flight and tried to extricate people who were stuck. Firefighters were called in immediately and injured people were taken to the hospital for medical attention.

"The Air India plane crash was like a dream of homecoming which turned into a nightmare. Our joy was short-lived. I am trying to overcome the traumatic experience," the survivor said.

READ: Kozhikode plane crash survivor recounts harrowing experience