Miracle Amid Tragedy: British Man Emerges as Sole Survivor in Deadly Air India Crash
In a story that defies all odds, a British man has emerged as the lone survivor of the catastrophic Air India crash that claimed the lives of 241 people. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, who was seated in 11A aboard the London-bound Boeing 787-8, miraculously walked away from the burning wreckage after the plane went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, western India.
Ramesh’s family is still reeling from the shock. His brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, told BBC News, “He has no idea how he survived. When he called us, he kept saying, ‘Find Ajay, find Ajay,’—our other brother who was also on the flight. That’s all he cared about.”
Air India confirmed that all other passengers and crew perished, including 169 Indian nationals and 52 Britons. Among the victims were entire families, young children, and community leaders from across the UK and India.
Footage circulating on social media shows Ramesh, dazed and bloodied, stumbling toward an ambulance as smoke and flames billow behind him. He was later seen in a hospital bed receiving a visit from Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.
“He has injuries on his face and was covered in blood,” said a relative, Jay, speaking to PA News. “But he’s alive. It’s a miracle—truly a miracle.”
In a chilling firsthand account, Ramesh described the crash: “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud bang. The next thing I knew, we were on the ground. There were bodies everywhere. I was terrified. I stood up and ran. Someone grabbed me and put me in an ambulance.”
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed Ramesh was the only known survivor: “Our officers found one man conscious, still strapped into seat 11A. He is now receiving treatment in hospital.”
As the world grapples with the horror of this disaster, grief is spreading across communities. Three Britons—Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee, and their young daughter Sara—were named among the deceased by the Gloucester Muslim Society. Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, a couple who ran a spiritual wellness centre in London and had shared a lighthearted video about their 10-hour flight home, are also believed to have died.
In Blackburn, Ammaarah Taju is holding onto hope that her grandparents, Adam and Hasina Taju, and her uncle Altafhusen Patel might still be found. “We’re just clinging to anything right now,” she said, barely holding back tears.
The aircraft, flight AI171, crashed into residential accommodation used by local doctors just moments after departure. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Global leaders responded swiftly. King Charles expressed his “desperate shock” and extended “deepest possible sympathy” to the families of victims across multiple nations. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the tragedy “devastating,” while India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was “heartbreaking beyond words.”
The UK Foreign Office has activated crisis response teams both in India and at home, and a reception centre has been set up at London Gatwick Airport for families awaiting news. Authorities urge British nationals needing consular support to contact the UK government hotline at 0207 008 5000.
Air India confirmed the plane left Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 p.m. local time, destined for London Gatwick. It crashed within minutes of takeoff.
As investigations continue, the astonishing survival of Vishwashkumar Ramesh stands as a rare light in an overwhelmingly dark moment—one man walking out of fire and rubble, forever changed, carrying the weight of so many lives lost.
