A British national of Indian origin, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, has emerged as the sole survivor of a catastrophic plane crash in India that claimed more than 260 lives. The Air India Flight AI171 was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12 when it crashed less than a minute after takeoff. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plunged into a hostel near B.J. Medical College, killing nearly everyone on board and dozens on the ground.
Ramesh, 40, was seated in the emergency exit row when the plane experienced engine failure and began a rapid descent. As the fuselage broke open on impact, he managed to unbuckle his seatbelt and crawl through debris to safety. He sustained burn injuries but was able to walk unaided to a waiting ambulance. His survival has been described as miraculous given the scale of destruction.
He is currently receiving treatment at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where he was visited by India’s Home Minister Amit Shah. Officials say Ramesh is in stable condition and has already provided a preliminary account of the terrifying moments before the crash. Investigators are now examining both black boxes and cockpit recordings to determine what went wrong.
The tragedy marks the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft since the model entered service in 2009. International aviation bodies including India’s AAIB, the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and the U.S. NTSB are collaborating on the probe. The crash has shocked both India and the UK, especially as 53 of the passengers were British nationals.
