A medic says the lone passenger to survive the Air India crash that killed more than 240 people found himself near debris after being thrown out of the plane and walked to a nearby ambulance for aid.

Air India has confirmed that one passenger survived Thursday's airplane crash, which had 242 passengers and crew members on board.

The crash is Dreamliner's first fatal crash as the plane had a stellar safety record, delivering 1,000 planes safely in 14 years.

News of the sole survivor of an Air India plane crash that killed the other 241 people aboard has led to endless fascination online.