The only person who made it out alive from the Air India crash has now been released from the hospital. He later attended the funeral of his brother, who was also on the same tragic flight.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh and his brother Ajaykumar Ramesh had both boarded Flight AI-171 that day. Vishwash had been seated in 11A, while Ajay was several seats away in 11J.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38PM local time, ready to begin what should have been a routine journey.
But just moments after takeoff, the plane suddenly lost all power and crashed straight into the doctors’ hostel at BJ Medical College. The horrific impact killed almost everyone on board, followed by an intense fireball that erupted on the scene.
Rescue personnel looking at the wreckage at the site of the Air India flight crash on June 12, 2025 in Ahmedabad, India. Hindustan Times / GettyThe Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India has launched an inquiry into the tragic accident, working closely with experts from the UK, the US, and Boeing to figure out what went wrong.
Initial findings have revealed that the aircraft was running on its emergency power unit, which may have been activated due to a serious engine malfunction. Investigators suspect both engines might have failed, leaving the pilots with a terrifyingly short window of just 17 seconds to respond before the crash occurred.
Nearly one week after the crash, 40-year-old Vishwash—who is originally from Leicester—was seen walking with a noticeable limp. He had plasters covering injuries on his face as he joined others in helping to carry his brother’s casket, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
While still recovering in his hospital bed, Vishwash opened up about the terrifying ordeal, recounting what happened in those devastating seconds after takeoff.
“I don’t believe how I survived. For some time I thought I was also going to die. But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could,” he said.
“It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others died. The side of the plane I was in landed on the ground, and I could see that there was space outside the aircraft, so when my door broke I tried to escape through it and I did.”
Vishwash continued to describe the chaos: “When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white. The aircraft wasn’t gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.”
“Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise, and then we crashed. It all happened so fast. When I stood up, there were bodies everywhere. I just ran. I don’t even know how I got out of the plane.”
The crash claimed over 240 lives. Ritesh Shukla / GettyA computer simulation video released after the crash revealed something crucial: Vishwash’s seat—11A—was positioned in the first row of the economy cabin, right next to an emergency exit. This specific seat placement is believed to have played a major role in saving his life.
As the crash site became engulfed in thick smoke and flames, disturbing eyewitness footage captured Vishwash making a desperate attempt to run back into the fire to rescue his brother.
“My family member is in there, my brother and he’s burning to death. I have to save him,” Vishwash told the emergency workers who were first on the scene.
Paramedic Satinder Singh Sandhu, who was one of the earliest medical responders to arrive, recalled the chilling moment when he saw Vishwash stumbling out from the smoke, visibly injured and confused: “The first person we spotted was the hostel guard who suffered primary burn injuries.”
Credit: Ritesh Shukla / Getty”Even as he was dispatched in an ambulance as the first patient from the site, we saw a man coming from out near the building.”
“We started shouting at him as he was disorientated and tried to go back to the site, even as the fire and smoke billowed.”
“We later got to know that his brother was on the flight and he was trying to go back to check on him. But the team on the spot escorted him and took him to Civil Hospital. His survival is unbelievable.”
Even though he was clearly injured and walking with difficulty, Vishwash did not accept any assistance when it came time to carry his brother’s coffin, which was covered with flowers.
