Air India’s Lone Crash Survivor Recounts Harrowing Escape
- Victor Nwoko
- Jun 13
- 2 min read
The lone survivor of the Air India crash that claimed 241 lives has recounted the harrowing moments following the disaster. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, was en route to London when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.
The crash marks one of India’s deadliest aviation tragedies and the first fatal incident involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner since the model’s debut in 2009, according to the Aviation Safety Network.
Currently recovering in a government hospital, Ramesh described waking up surrounded by flames, debris, and charred bodies. He was seated in 11A when the aircraft plummeted shortly after takeoff, seemingly unable to gain altitude. According to Ramesh, green and white lights flashed moments before the aircraft accelerated and then lost control.
Ramesh said the left side of the aircraft slammed into the ground floor of a building, breaking open a door near his seat. Disoriented but conscious, he unfastened his seatbelt and forced himself out of the wreckage. He sustained burn injuries on his left hand and wandered away from the scene in a state of shock before local residents rushed him to the hospital via ambulance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met with Ramesh in his hospital room. "I told Modi what all I had witnessed. He also enquired about my health," Ramesh said.
Dr. Dhaval Gameti, one of the doctors treating him, stated that Ramesh arrived at the hospital disoriented and covered in injuries but is now in stable condition and expected to recover.
Ramesh was traveling with his brother at the time of the crash. According to his cousin, Ajay Valgi, Ramesh managed to call relatives in Leicester shortly after the crash, saying only, “I’m fine.” His brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, also confirmed that he video-called their father immediately after the incident. “He said, ‘The plane’s crashed. I don’t know where my brother is. I don’t see any other passengers. I don’t know how I’m alive, how I exited the plane.’”
Still clutching his boarding pass in the hospital, Ramesh recalled the devastating scene, describing the sight of passengers, crew, and scattered aircraft parts across the crash zone.
As investigations into the cause of the crash continue, authorities are working to recover and identify the bodies of the victims and assess the aircraft's black box for clues. The aviation disaster has sent shockwaves through India and beyond, prompting national mourning and questions about aircraft safety protocols.
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