Lone Air India crash survivor opens up on his haunting ordeal, family tragedy

Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 39, lives.

He is the lone survivor of the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad where 241 people died — including his younger brother. But Ramesh walked away from the wreckage, alone.

In an interview with British media, AI Flight 171 crash’s sole survivor opened up on his haunting ordeal and family tragedy.

He has shared the profound physical and mental suffering he endures after the disaster. 

He also revealed his physical pain, mental battles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the devastating loss of his brother, Ajay, 27.

Though grateful to be alive, Ramesh reveals he feels “broken and isolated”, trapped in a constant struggle with flashbacks and trauma that keep him confined mostly to his bedroom.

On June 12, 2025, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying Ramesh and 260 others crashed shortly after takeoff, engulfed in flames. A British national, Ramesh was returning to the UK, where he has lived for 20 years, after visiting family in India.

“Everything happened in front of my eyes,” said Ramesh, who slipped through a shattered emergency exit near his seat 11A, emerged as one of the miraculous survivors in a scene of total devastation.

“I don’t know how I survived. It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others died. After takeoff, it felt like the plane came to stand-still for 5 to 10 seconds,” he told Indian media from his hospital bed in June.

Shocking footage circulated worldwide of him limping away from the wreckage with superficial wounds while smoke rose behind him.

Speaking to the BBC from his home in Leicester for the first time since the crash, Ramesh was emotional and candid about the painful aftermath. 

He called himself “the luckiest man alive” yet admitted the weight of grief and trauma is nearly unbearable. 

His brother, just a few seats away, died in the crash — a loss that shattered his family’s foundation.

Ramesh detailed how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) haunts him daily. 

"It's very painful," he told SkyNews' Sophy Ridge.

He finds it impossible to recall the crashing moment, describing his mind filled with suffering and sleepless nights. 

When Ridge probed further, asking him when he realised something was wrong, Ramesh replied: "It's very difficult to explain."

In a separate interview with BBC News, Ramesh (whose first language is Gujarati) said: "I'm only one survivor. Still, I'm not believing. It's a miracle."

"I lost my brother as well. My brother is my backbone. Last few years, he was always supporting me." 

His mother has also been deeply affected, isolating herself outside his door.

Physically, Ramesh continues to suffer severe pain in his leg, shoulder, knee, and back from injuries sustained while crawling from the wreckage. 

He struggles with basic activities like walking and driving and has been medically unable to work since. 

Despite a PTSD diagnosis during his hospital stay in India, he has yet to receive ongoing treatment since returning home.

The tragic crash left many families devastated, and advisers supporting Ramesh say the airline has not provided adequate care or communication. 

Air India has offered an interim compensation of approximately £21,500 ($28,226) which Ramesh accepted for immediate needs. 

Yet the family fishing business he ran with his brother in India collapsed after the accident, adding to financial distress.

Advocates for Ramesh have publicly called on Air India executives to meet the survivor and families affected to address their ongoing needs and suffering. 

“Whoever's responsible at the highest level should be on the ground meeting the victims of this tragic event, and understanding their needs,” said a local community leader supporting Ramesh.

The airline, owned by Tata Group, said senior leaders continue visiting families and that an offer to meet Ramesh's representatives remains open. Tata has also created a Rs5 billion trust fund dedicated to Air India plane crash victims.

They affirmed that care for Ramesh and those affected “remains our absolute priority.”

A preliminary investigation revealed the plane’s fuel supply was “cut” seconds after takeoff, and inquiries are ongoing.

Meanwhile, the story of the lone survivor from seat 11A stands as a somber testimony to tragedy’s human toll — a man forever marked by loss, pain, and the haunting question of why he lived while so many others did not. 

His heartbreaking story is a call for better care and justice for victims.