VishwashKumar Ramesh becomes sole survivor in Air India crash that killed 241, netizens call it ‘miracle’

India: In a major tragedy that claimed more than 241 lives, 40-year-old VishwashKumar Ramesh has become the sole survivor of the devastating Air India crash which took place minutes after take off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Kumar, who was sitting at 11A seat, has now shared a chilling account of his escape from the burning wreckage of the plane. Notably, he was one of the passengers in the aircraft that carried approximately 242 people onboard including the crew, 169 Indian nationals and 53 of British nationals. 

Amid all the horror of the Air India plane crash, this story of British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh from Leicester, who was in seat 11a, being the sole survivor and walking away with just a few scratches, is truly astonishing. pic.twitter.com/8py9Rssf0d

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 12, 2025

The sole survivor was a British national visiting his family in India and he managed to escape through the emergency exit. Following the incident, Ramesh recounted the tragic incident and said that it all happened so fast and explained that just about 30 seconds after take off a loud noise was heard and then the plane crashed. He added that he woke up surrounded by bodies and pieces of the plane to which he realized what actually happened. 

"The plane broke, and my seat came off," he recounted to medical staff at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. "That is how I was saved."

He clarified that he didn’t leap from the aircraft—rather, he was hurled out while still belted into his seat during the mid-air structural failure. He landed near ground level, dazed but conscious, and managed to unbuckle himself.

“The place where I landed was really low, I took off the seat belt and for a moment, I was scared for my life. But I was near ground level, so I tried to get out,” Ramesh told the local media.

We spoke to Ramesh Vishwashkumar — the only survivor of the Ahmedabad plane crash.
His seat? 11A.
His story? Unbelievable.#PlaneCrash#AhmedabadTragedy Ahmedabad Civil Hospital #RestInPeace #Tehran Israel #planecrashahmedabad #AirIndiaPlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/elyULI7eeQ

— Aalam Ali🇮🇳 (@AalamAli789) June 13, 2025

With the aircraft's doors shattered and the wreckage ablaze, he managed to walk out unaided—narrowly escaping the scene of chaos and death.

“I can’t believe how I survived,” he said, still in shock. “I thought I would die. People died in front of my eyes.”

The victim is now hospitalized undergoing medical and psychological evaluation after sustaining some impact injuries on his eyes, chest and legs. Many have called his escape and survival nothing short of a ‘miracle’ as his escape has sparked both awe and disbelief.

Amid the unbearable tragedy of the Air India crash, the story of Vishwashkumar Ramesh from Leicester.. seat 11A… the lone survivor, feels nothing short of a miracle.

He walked away with just a few scratches while the world around him collapsed 🙏🏻
In the face of such horror, his… pic.twitter.com/Hc0VKJNpQD

— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) June 13, 2025

Grieving relatives were seen entering and exiting the hospital desperately in search of their beloved family members and friends that were on board the plane. Among those looking for their families was the family of the former chief minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani who was on the flight too. Ramesh Kumar was also in search of his older brother 45 year-old Ajay Kumar  who he says was seated just two rows behind him.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed his condolences for the victims of flight AI 171 a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and called the survival of Ramesh a glimmer of hope in the midst of unimaginable tragedy for the nation of India. 

Investigations are currently ongoing   as to the cause of the crash whether it was a mechanical failure, human error, or environmental factor that led to the crashing of the aircraft.