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Mangaluru: “The plane was just about to land, and suddenly it took off again. Before I could understand what happened, it overshot the runway and plunged into the valley. There was a massive explosion. I used all my strength to crawl through a small space amidst the flames and jumped out. It was terrifying… like escaping from the jaws of death,” recalls Joel D’Souza, a survivor of the tragic Mangaluru plane crash that occurred on May 22, 2010.

Joel, a resident of Vamanjoor, was 24 years old at the time. Speaking to Udayavani in the backdrop of the recent Gujarat plane tragedy, he shared his haunting memories.

“I had just received a job appointment letter and was returning home from Dubai to change my visa. My family had come to the airport to welcome me. I was filled with joy, looking forward to landing in Mangaluru and celebrating. But that happiness vanished in an instant,” he said.

Joel vividly remembers the horror as fellow passengers burned before his eyes. “There was no way to help anyone. It was every man for himself. I was lucky—I found a small opportunity and leapt out of the burning aircraft. I survived. I won life.”

He attributes his survival to divine grace and his family’s prayers. Today, Joel works as a supervisor at a private firm in Dubai. But the memories still linger. “Every time I fly to Mangaluru, those moments replay in my mind,” he said.

Joel sustained severe burn injuries and underwent extensive treatment before recovering. Watching footage of the recent Gujarat plane tragedy brought everything rushing back. “I can relate to what those people went through. I’ve lived it,” he added.