On a fateful Thursday in Ahmedabad, the Air India flight AI171 met with tragedy when a Boeing 787-8 carrying 242 individuals crashed. Amidst the devastation, only one person emerged as a survivor – Vishwashkumar Ramesh. A young man of Indian descent who had spent most of his life in the United Kingdom.
“The only survivor was identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh,”
confirmed Air India in a social media post that mourned the loss of the other 241 souls on board. Visited by Amit Shah, India’s Minister of Home Affairs, Ramesh recounted his harrowing experience to The Hindustan Times. He recalled the chilling moment when chaos unfolded mid-air, saying,
“I heard a noise 30 seconds after takeoff and then the plane crashed.”
Amidst the carnage and confusion, Ramesh found himself surrounded by lifeless bodies. With fear gripping his heart, he acted on instinct and fled from the wreckage. In an interview with local authorities, he revealed how he managed to escape certain death by being seated next to an emergency exit.
“He was close to the emergency exit and managed to escape by jumping through it,”
stated Vidhi Chaudhary, a police officer from Ahmedabad.
Videos circulating on social media captured moments of post-crash chaos as a man resembling Ramesh limped towards an ambulance for medical aid. Dr. Dhaval Gameti described Ramesh’s arrival at the hospital as disoriented with multiple injuries but thankfully stable for now.
Across continents in the UK, Nayan Kumar Ramesh awaited news about his brothers’ fate anxiously. Speaking about their brief phone call after the crash, Nayan shared how Vishwashkumar’s immediate concern was for their missing brother Ajay: “Find Ajay.” While relieved that Vishwashkumar survived, Nayan remained distraught over Ajay’s whereabouts.
In times of tragedy and resilience like this one experienced by Vishwashkumar Ramesh, stories emerge that remind us of human strength and fragility intertwined in adversity—a testament to courage amidst chaos.
