Vishwas Ramesh Kumar’s miraculous survival in Ahmedabad air crash

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick, crashed moments after departing Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 265 people, including 241 passengers and crew, and at least 24 on the ground. The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 45-year-old British national, shared his harrowing tale of survival from seat 11A, an emergency exit row. Ramesh recounted how the plane disintegrated shortly after takeoff, ejecting his seat into a low-lying area, sparing him from the ensuing fireball. Disoriented but alive, he unbuckled and escaped through a shattered door, witnessing the tragic loss of fellow passengers and crew.

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The aircraft, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew, including 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, plummeted into a medical college hostel, igniting a blaze visible for miles. The pilot issued a Mayday call at 1:39 PM, signaling a catastrophic emergency, as the plane struggled to climb beyond 800 feet. Debris, including the tail and landing gear, was found embedded in the building. Among the deceased was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Investigators are probing the cause, with efforts underway to recover the black box, comprising the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, to uncover critical details. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and met Ramesh in hospital, where he remains under observation with non-critical injuries.