The lone survivor of the Air India Flight AI171 crash, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, is calling his survival a miracle. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, claiming the lives of 241 passengers and crew, as well as several people on the ground.
Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national of Indian descent, was seen in social media footage walking away from the crash site, bloodied and dazed. Speaking from his hospital bed, Ramesh recounted the horrific moments, stating that the aircraft seemed to stall midair shortly after takeoff. He recalled the engine's thrust before the plane "crashed with speed into the hostel." Despite the harrowing experience, he managed to unbuckle himself and escape through a broken emergency exit. "When I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive," Ramesh told DD News. "So I tried to open my seat belt, and I was able to get out."
Ramesh was seated in 11A, a window seat in the first exit row of standard economy. He noticed the emergency door was broken upon impact. "When my door broke, I saw there was a bit of space," Ramesh said. "So I tried to get out and I was able to get out." He also explained that his side of the plane landed on the ground floor of a building, while the opposite side was blocked, preventing anyone from escaping.
The disaster medicine expert, Dr. Wood, suggested that several critical variables had to align for Ramesh to survive. Factors such as being properly restrained, remaining conscious, and being able to quickly leave the area likely played significant roles.
While Ramesh's survival is being hailed as a miracle, it is a bittersweet one. His brother, Ajay, who was seated across the aisle in 11J, was among those killed in the crash. Nayan Kumar Ramesh, Vishwashkumar's other brother back in the U.K., told reporters that Vishwashkumar immediately called their father after the crash, expressing his concern for Ajay. “When he called us he was just more worried about my other brother, like ‘Find Ajay, find Ajay,’” Nayan told the BBC. “That’s all he cares about at the moment.”
News of Ramesh's survival has resonated deeply with other sole survivors of plane crashes. George Lamson Jr., the only survivor of a 1985 Galaxy Airlines crash, shared on social media that the news shook him. "These events don't just make headlines. They leave a lasting echo in the lives of those who've lived through something similar," he wrote.
Following DNA confirmation, Ajay's remains were released to the family. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was discharged from Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and attended his brother's cremation. Heartrending visuals emerged of Ramesh carrying his brother's mortal remains on his shoulders during the funeral procession in their native Diu.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the crash, with India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau working alongside the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The black box has been recovered, which should aid in determining the cause of the crash.
