'Wanted to impress friends in village'; Class 12 boy behind viral plane crash video

NEW DELHI: Aryan Azari, who fortuitously filmed the Ahmedabad plane crash, is still finding it tough to cope with the reality. Aryan, a class 12 student, had come from a remote village to meet his father. After hearing the buzz of the flight, Aryan ran upstairs to the terrace to capture the video. He intended to send the video to his friends back in the village in a bid to impress them.

“I thought the flight was heading for a landing. Soon, an explosion was heard and I couldn’t believe my eyes” said Aryan.

It was only later that Aryan learned that the video he filmed was of a devastating tragedy that took the lives of 270 people. His father, Magan Singh, a supervisor at the Ahmedabad Metro, moved to a flat near the airport six months ago for an easier commute to work. This was the first time Aryan and his sister had visited their father in the city.

Aryan, who saw the plane turning into a ball of fire, ran down and told his sister about the incident. He sent the footage to his father, who was also an Army officer. It was from this footage that the authorities realized that the plane's wheels had not been retracted and that the rear flaps were spread out.

Aryan Azari was completely scared when the investigation agencies and media personnel reached him for evidence. According to his sister, Aryan barely sleeps these days. The youngster has decided to never travel on a flight in his lifetime. The crime branch made him a witness and took his statement. Aryan returned to his village as the schools were reopening on Monday.