Sole survivor Ramesh Viswashkumar, 40, is treated in hospital. Photo: Hindustan Times

Ramesh Viswashkumar, 40, who is treated in hospital, told the Hindustan Times that about 32 seconds after take-off, he heard a loud noise and then the plane started to fall.

"It all happened so quickly," he said, "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared.” "Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital."

In one of the worst aviation disasters in India for nearly two decades, death toll has risen to more than 290, including passengers and crew on the plane and people in a building hit by the plane, police said, adding death toll could rise as rescue teams continue to search the scene. 50 people on the ground were injured and are being treated in hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep shock, describing the incident as “heartbreaking beyond words.” He vowed to  do everything possible to assist those affected in the wake of the air mishap.