Still to overcome the psychological trauma caused by the tragic Air India plane crash he unwittingly ended up capturing on his mobile phone in Ahmedabad, shaken and disturbed Aryan Asari on Sunday returned to his native village in Aravalli district to focus on his class 12 studies.
The 17-year-old from Shamlaji taluka arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday - the same day the tragic incident occurred - to purchase textbooks.
"I cleared the class 11 exam last month and secured admission in class 12. I came to Ahmedabad on June 12 to purchase textbooks. I reached my father's rented house at around 12:30 pm," Aryan said, adding that he went to the terrace overwhelmed by the sight of a low-flying aircraft.
Aryan was on the terrace of a rented house in the Meghaninagar area, close to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, when he witnessed the ill-fated Ahmedabad-London flight crashing into a medical college campus shortly after takeoff.
The disaster claimed 241 of the 242 lives on board, along with several casualties on the ground.
"I had just reached my father's house around 12:30 p.m. and went up to the terrace after learning that aircraft fly overhead. I was recording a video of a plane flying low out of curiosity because I had never seen one from such a close distance.
"When the plane started descending, I thought it was going to land on the other side of the airport. Then it crashed and burst into flames right in front of my eyes. It was terrifying," he told media persons.
Aryan's father, a retired Indian Army personnel, had recently taken up a job as a security guard with the Ahmedabad Metro and was staying in a rented accommodation, which has two floors, located between the airport and the crash site, in Meghaninagar.
House owner Kailashba confirmed Aryan's account, adding, "He had come to Ahmedabad for the first time and within hours of his arrival, he ended up witnessing such a horrific event. The video he captured was initially sent to his father and later went viral".
Kailasba said Aryan is leaving for his native place to resume studies.
Aryan recorded his statement with the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Saturday, confirming his role as an eyewitness, police stated.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
