In what aviation experts are calling nothing short of a miracle, a British-Indian man has become the sole survivor of a catastrophic Air India plane crash that claimed 241 lives. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, leaving investigators scrambling for answers and families across three continents in mourning.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old from Leicester, was seated in 11A when Flight AI171 plummeted into a medical college building just thirty seconds after departure. Against all odds, he survived with non-life-threatening injuries while every other passenger and crew member perished. Doctors at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital report Ramesh suffered chest and eye trauma but remains conscious, though deeply traumatized by the horrific experience.
In a chilling account from his hospital bed, Ramesh described the suddenness of the disaster. “There was a loud noise, then everything went black,” he recalled, his voice shaking. “When I came to, I was surrounded by wreckage… and bodies. I just ran until someone found me.” The tragedy struck doubly hard for Ramesh, who was traveling with his older brother Ajay – now among the missing.
Aviation specialists express astonishment at Ramesh’s survival, particularly given his seat’s location near the wing spar, typically one of the most dangerous areas in a crash. Investigators have recovered the black box and are working with international agencies to determine what caused the modern aircraft to fail so catastrophically under normal flight conditions.
