British national Ramesh Vishwashkumar survived the Air India Dreamliner crash by escaping before flames engulfed the wreckage—his story is one of improbable survival.
By Pravin Kumar
In a tragic aviation disaster that claimed 241 lives, 38-year-old Ramesh Vishwashkumar, a British national seated in 11A, emerged as the sole survivor of Air India Flight AI171, which crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London Gatwick, went down in a residential area near the city’s Civil Hospital and BJ Medical College, bursting into flames upon impact.
Ramesh, who was in India to visit family, including his brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45, recounted the harrowing moments of the crash from his hospital bed at Civil Hospital in Asarwa. “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise, and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” he told reporters, clutching his boarding pass. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran.”
READ: Air India Crash: Bodies recovered Charred Beyond Recognition
Authorities report that Ramesh survived by jumping from the plane just before it caught fire, sustaining serious injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed, “The police found one survivor in seat 11A.
He is under treatment in the hospital.” A video circulating on social media shows Ramesh, visibly injured, walking toward emergency responders at the crash site.
Ramesh Vishwas Kumar, originally from Daman & Diu and currently a resident of Leicester, UK, is the lone survivor of the tragic crash.
Praying for his swift and full recovery.🙏
pic.twitter.com/zAkkQmUnzB— Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) June 12, 2025
The flight, carrying 242 passengers and crew, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese citizens, took off at 1:38 p.m. local time. It issued a Mayday call shortly after departure, but air traffic control received no further response. The aircraft climbed only 625 feet before crashing into the Meghaninagar area, scattering debris across residential buildings and a medical college dining facility.
Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, as confirmed by Union Minister C R Patil. The crash, one of India’s worst aviation disasters, also claimed the lives of at least five medical college students on the ground.
Read: AI171 Crash: Whistleblower’s Called Dreamliner ‘Time Bomb’
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu expressed devastation, stating, “We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all agencies to take swift action.” Rescue teams, including the Railway Protection Force and local medical staff, are combing through the charred wreckage, though hopes of finding additional survivors remain slim.
Ramesh, who has lived in London for 20 years with his wife and child, remains haunted by the loss of his brother, who was seated in a different row. “We visited Diu together. I can’t find him. Please help me find him,” he pleaded.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, marking the first incident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. As the nation mourns, Ramesh’s survival stands as a rare miracle amid overwhelming tragedy.
