The only person to survive the crash of Air India Flight 171 has spoken publicly for the first time, describing in harrowing detail how he escaped the wreckage that claimed more than 270 lives.
On Thursday, June 12, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a father from Leicester, walked away from the burning debris of the doomed Boeing 787-8, an almost impossible outcome, given that all 241 other passengers and crew perished, along with dozens more on the ground.
The aircraft had departed from Ahmedabad and was en route to London Gatwick when it lost power and slammed into a residential building just seconds after takeoff.
“I still can’t believe how I survived,” Ramesh told Hindustan Times from his hospital bed in Asarwa, Ahmedabad. “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise—and then the crash. It all happened so fast. When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by bodies.”
“I Just Ran”
Ramesh had been sitting in seat 11A when the plane went down. In interviews with Indian state media, he explained how he freed himself.
“I unbuckled my seatbelt, used my leg to push through an opening, and crawled out,” he said. “The part of the plane I was in hadn’t hit the building directly. When I saw a gap, I got out.”
Once outside, disoriented and injured, he was helped by a bystander and taken by ambulance to the hospital.
“No one on the opposite side could’ve gotten out,” he added, via BBC News. “That side hit the wall directly. The door near me broke open, and I just moved.”
“The Lights Started Flickering Green and White”
Moments after takeoff, Ramesh said the aircraft began behaving erratically.
“It felt like we were stuck in the air,” he recalled. “The lights inside started flickering, green and white, then we suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.”
The jet struck a dormitory housing junior doctors at Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital. The crash also killed at least 29 people on the ground, Reuters details.
Ramesh recounted seeing two passengers and several flight attendants die in front of him. “For a moment, I thought I was going to die too,” he said. “But when I realised I was still breathing, I just ran.”
“Out of Danger,” But Not Unscarred
Footage shared widely online shows Ramesh limping away from the flaming wreckage as medics rush to his aid.
Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who is treating Ramesh, confirmed he suffered multiple injuries but is now “out of danger.”
“He was disoriented and in shock,” the doctor said. “But it’s a miracle he made it out alive.”
Investigation Underway as Grief Deepens
The aircraft was carrying 242 people in total: 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals. Authorities say the final death toll may still rise, as not all ground fatalities have been confirmed.
Flight data and cockpit recordings have been recovered and are now being analysed. Investigators from the UK and India are examining multiple theories, including mechanical failure.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and released a statement, calling the disaster “devastating beyond words.”
“The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words,” Modi said. “Condolences to all the bereaved families. We understand their pain, and the void left behind will be felt for years to come. Om Shanti.”
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