Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 38, was the sole survivor of the Air India Flight 171 crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of 241 other passengers on board. Despite sustaining multiple injuries, Ramesh managed to walk away from the wreckage.
Following the incident, Ramesh contacted his family in Britain, expressing disbelief at his survival. “I don’t know how I am alive,” he reportedly told his younger brother, Nayan Ramesh, 27.
Ramesh was returning to London from Ahmedabad, India, when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed. Tragically, his brother Ajay was among those who did not survive.
The Ramesh family home in Leicester, England, became a focal point of mourning and disbelief. Outside, a group of men gathered, while inside, an older woman was seen crying and receiving comfort.
In India, Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who examined Ramesh, described him as disoriented with multiple injuries but stated that he was out of danger. Nayan Ramesh later reported that the family had spoken with Viswash from the hospital, where he had been advised to rest and had his phone switched off.
Shortly after the crash, Viswash managed to make a video call to his father from near the wreckage, saying, “Our plane crashed. I have no idea how I got outside.” He expressed shock at not being able to see his brother or any other passengers before being taken away in an ambulance.