Amidst the charred wreckage of what was once Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick, a single life was spared. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national of Indian origin, is the sole survivor of the devastating crash that occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
"I don't know how I am alive," Ramesh reportedly told relatives from his hospital bed, still disoriented and grappling with the enormity of the tragedy. The flight, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, plummeted into a residential area near Ahmedabad's airport, claiming the lives of 241 people on board and an unknown number on the ground.
Ramesh's survival is nothing short of a miracle. According to reports, he was seated in 11A, near an emergency exit. Police reports indicate he managed to jump from the aircraft. Speaking to Indian media, Ramesh recalled the terrifying moments leading up to the crash. "Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise," he recounted. "And then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly."
After the crash, Ramesh found himself surrounded by death and destruction. "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me," he stated. Someone pulled him from the wreckage and into an ambulance. He is currently receiving treatment at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital. Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who examined Ramesh, confirmed that he sustained multiple injuries but is thankfully out of danger.
News of Ramesh's miraculous survival has sent ripples of hope amidst the grief. His cousin, Ajay Valgi, told the BBC that Ramesh has a wife and "little boy" at home in Leicester, U.K. Ramesh contacted his relatives in Leicester after the crash. His brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, expressed immense relief at his brother's survival but also voiced concern for another brother, Ajay, who was also on board the flight and remains unaccounted for. “He himself has no idea how he survived, how he got out the plane," Nayan stated. "When he called us he was just more worried about my other brother, like 'Find Ajay, find Ajay.' That's all he cares about at the moment."
The crash has prompted immediate responses from both Indian and international authorities. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the investigation, with assistance from a U.S. team led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Preliminary reports suggest weather was not a factor, but former NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt noted that video footage appeared to show the plane with its landing gear down and flaps up at an inappropriate time during the flight. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, are yet to be recovered.
The tragedy has cast a shadow over Ahmedabad and the global aviation community. Air India has expressed its condolences and is cooperating fully with the investigation. The airline has confirmed the nationalities of those on board as 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian.
As investigators work to determine the cause of the crash, the focus remains on supporting the families of the victims and providing care for Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor who miraculously walked away from the inferno. His account, once he is able to fully share it, may provide crucial insights into the final moments of Flight AI171.
