An Air India plane crashed Thursday near a major international airport in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, the airline and the country’s government said.

The lone passenger who survived the Air India crash that killed 241 people onboard couldn’t believe he was alive when he opened his eyes, surrounded by flames, debris and charred bodies.

At least 290 people have died after an Air India plane crashed shortly after take off from Ahmedabad airport in India on Thursday, a senior doctor at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where a majority of the dead and injured people were taken, told CNN.

An Air India crash Thursday involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which the aircraft manufacturer first delivered 14 years ago.

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, appears to be the only survivor of Air India flight 171, which crashed with 242 people aboard.

Both of the "black boxes" were recovered from the wreckage of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in India after after all but one of the 242 people onboard died.

News of the sole survivor of an Air India plane crash that killed the other 241 people aboard has led to endless online fascination, but it has also stirred up painful feelings for a handful of others who have had similar fates.

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor of Air India flight 171, which crashed seconds after takeoff on Thursday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized India's commitment to strengthening ties with the US, irrespective of political leadership, citing it as crucial for India's interests. He cautioned Europe about the potential repercussions of ignoring terrorism,