Ahmedabad plane crash: Who is Viswashkumar Ramesh, the lone survivor of Air India AI-171 tragedy?

Viswashkumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national, has been identified as the only survivor of the Air India Flight 171 crash, the tragedy that claimed the lives of at least 265 people. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner which was travelling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed 33 seconds after take-off on Thursday afternoon, killing nearly everybody onboard and on the ground. It carried 242 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew. The crash occurred near a medical college hostel just outside the airport perimeter.

Ramesh is a British citizen who had been visiting family in India. The tragedy occurred when he was returning to London with his elder brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, aged 45. Viswash was seated in 11A, next to the emergency door on the aircraft’s left side, while his brother was seated in a different row. While talking to HT, he said, "Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly."

Ramesh recounted that the aircraft broke apart shortly after take-off. His seat, located near the emergency exit. In his account to DD News, he said, “The plane broke, and my seat came off. That is how I was saved.” His positioning shielded him from the fire that engulfed the aircraft. He added, “The place where I landed was low...I took off the seat belt and for a moment, I was scared for my life. But I was near ground level, so I tried to get out.”

According to Ramesh, when he regained consciousness surrounded by wreckage and bodies. He unbuckled his seatbelt and walked out through a broken door. An unidentified bystander spot him and helped him into an ambulance. Still holding his boarding pass in hand, Ramesh was seen limping away from the crash site in a bloodstained shirt in a now-viral video, as bystanders ask questions. He was later taken to the Civil Hospital, Asarwa.

Ramesh had sustained injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet. Dr Rajnish Patel, who is the head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, said his condition was stable. “He is comfortable and under strict observation. He is expected to be discharged in the next few days,” Patel told CNN.

A day after the crash, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and met the lone survivor, Ramesh Viswaskumar in the Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital. After his visit, PM tweeted, "The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath."

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik confirmed that Ramesh was the only person found alive at the site and had been seated in 11A. Later, Diu’s additional district magistrate Vivek Kumar also confirmed that among the 15 passengers from the region, only one had survived, while he added that a team from Diu administration had already left for Ahmedabad.

The flight was carrying passengers from multiple countries while 169 Indians onboard, it also had 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, including 11 children. The pilot had issued a ‘Mayday’ distress call shortly after take-off. Investigations by DGCA, Air India, and Boeing are ongoing in the matter while the 'black box' has already been found.