Ramesh Vishwaskumar is the only known survivor of Air India Crash

In a moment that defies comprehension, Ramesh Vishwaskumar, a 38-year-old British national, emerged as the sole known survivor of Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, earlier today.

The Crash: A Catastrophe in Ahmedabad

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at 1:39 PM local time. Carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, the plane climbed to just 625-825 feet before disaster struck.

Within minutes, a loud noise signaled catastrophic failure, and the aircraft plummeted into a doctors’ hostel at B.J. Medical College in the densely populated Meghani Nagar area, erupting into a massive fireball. The crash killed at least 204 people on board and several on the ground, including five medical students, with 50 others injured.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik confirmed the grim toll, noting that the death toll could rise due to the crash’s impact on a residential area. Emergency services, including the Indian Army, NDRF, CRPF, and Coast Guard, rushed to the scene, recovering over 200 bodies. The plane’s collision with the hostel intensified the tragedy, with mobile phone footage showing thick black smoke and parts of the fuselage embedded in the building. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “heartbreaking beyond words,” while Tata Group, Air India’s owner, pledged ₹1 crore (approximately £86,000) to each victim’s family.

Ramesh Vishwaskumar: The Miracle Survivor

Amid the wreckage, one man defied the odds. Ramesh Vishwaskumar Bucharvada, seated in 11A near an emergency exit in the economy cabin, survived what authorities initially believed had no survivors. “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise, and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” Ramesh told the Hindustan Times from his hospital bed at Civil Hospital in Asarwa, Ahmedabad. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me.”

Video footage, widely shared on social media, captured Ramesh limping toward an ambulance, his white shirt bloodstained, his face and hair matted with blood from impact injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet. Reports suggest he jumped from the plane during the crash, a split-second decision that likely saved his life. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik confirmed, “The police found one survivor in seat 11A. He is under treatment.” While his injuries are serious, doctors describe his condition as stable, though the emotional toll is profound.

Ramesh, a British citizen from Chennai who has lived in London for 20 years with his wife and child, was returning from a family visit in Diu, Gujarat, with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45, who was seated in a different row. Tragically, Ajay remains missing, and Ramesh has been unable to speak about his brother’s fate. “We visited Diu. He was travelling with me, and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” Ramesh pleaded to reporters. Friends from Diu rushed to Ahmedabad, clinging to hope for Ajay’s survival.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a relatively new model, had no prior fatal crashes, making this incident a shock to aviation experts. Preliminary reports suggest a possible mechanical failure or bird strike, but investigators await black box and cockpit voice recorder data. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will assist India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in the probe, per international protocols.

The crash’s toll extends beyond the plane. The hostel’s destruction killed medical students and injured 50 others, while ground casualties remain unconfirmed. Among the passengers was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, adding a high-profile dimension to the tragedy. A British couple, Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who ran a spiritual wellness center, had posted about their “magical” India trip hours before boarding, unaware of the fate awaiting them.