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A blessing in disguise: British call center worker escapes drama in India
Owen Jackson, 31, escaped the fatal Air India crash in Ahmedabad with a last-minute change of plans.
A blessing in disguise: British call center worker escapes drama in India
A tragic accident shocked India on June 12 when flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off and crashed into a residential area. Among the passengers was Owen Jackson, a 31-year-old man from Saffron Walden, Essex, who luckily escaped disaster through a spontaneous change of plans. Instead of flying on Thursday as originally planned, Jackson decided to postpone his return flight to Saturday on the advice of a colleague. This decision saved his life, while the plane crash claimed at least 270 lives, both on the plane and on the ground, where the plane crashed into a residential area and burst into flames.
Jackson was in India to train colleagues at a call center and was initially unaware that the plane he was avoiding had met with disaster. His wife, Phillipa, endured two hours of uncertainty before learning of the change of plans. Meanwhile, Jackson was in meetings and came to know late about the incident, which took place in the Meghaninaga area of Ahmedabad.
A survivor reports
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the accident, described the dramatic moments after the plane took off. 30 seconds after takeoff, he heard a loud noise that startled him and the other passengers before the plane crashed. Ramesh was in India with his brother Ajay to visit family and has lived in London for 20 years. Many tragic stories are waiting to be told as Ramesh described seeing bodies around him after the crash and running for his life to reach safety.
Backed by police reports, Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed that at least 204 bodies have been recovered so far while 41 injured are currently undergoing treatment. Flight AI171 transported a total of 242 passengers and 12 crew members, some of whose fate remains uncertain.
Identification of the victims is in full swing, while the government has not yet provided precise information on the total number of victims. The tragedy raises questions about aviation safety and leaves families in deep mourning. However, for Owen Jackson, who is considered the lucky survivor, the memory of the event will weigh heavily, especially given the fact that his colleague Ajay Ramesh did not survive the accident.
This terrible tragedy will certainly receive a lot of media attention in the coming days and weeks as investigations into the cause of the accident begin. Jackson and his wife are grateful for the unexpected turn of fate, but the profound loss many families suffered that night is immeasurable.