New Delhi: Ramesh Viswashkumar, the lone survivor of the catastrophic Air India crash that killed over 240 people, described his harrowing escape and the haunting scenes of others perishing just feet away. From his hospital bed, he shared chilling details of the moment he realized he had miraculously survived.
Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British national of Indian origin, was seated in 11A—right beside the emergency exit—when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner burst into flames after crashing into a medical college hostel shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. The crash is now considered India’s deadliest air disaster in over a decade.
Shocking footage of Viswashkumar limping away from the wreckage in a blood-soaked shirt, his face visibly bruised, has flooded Indian news channels and social media platforms. His survival has been dubbed by British media as the “miracle of seat 11A.”
“I don’t believe how I survived. For some time I thought I was also going to die,” Viswashkumar told Indian state broadcaster DD News.
“But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could. It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others (died).”
Viswashkumar’s escape was possible only because the side of the aircraft he was on had torn open upon impact. “The side of the plane I was in landed on the ground, and I could see that there was space outside the aircraft, so when my door broke I tried to escape through it and I did,” he recounted.
“The opposite side of the aircraft was blocked by the building wall so nobody could have come out of there.”
Hospital officials confirmed he suffered burns and bruises but was in stable condition and under observation. “His escape … and without any grievous injury, was nothing short of a miracle. He also realises that and is a bit shaken by the trauma of it too,” a Civil Hospital official in Ahmedabad told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Viswashkumar had been traveling with his brother Ajay, who was seated elsewhere on the aircraft. While Ramesh survived, the fate of his brother remains uncertain. His cousin, Hiren Kantilal, speaking from the family home in Leicester, England, said the family had spoken to Ramesh via video call and were preparing to travel to India.
“We can’t describe in words, we are totally heartbroken,” Kantilal said when asked about Ajay.
The tragedy not only claimed the lives of those onboard but also killed people in the hostel below. Rescue operations continued on Friday as teams searched the debris for missing persons and aircraft parts in hopes of determining the cause of the crash.
Air India has stated that a full investigation is underway. Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, confirmed that it is ready to send a team of technical experts to assist Indian authorities in the probe.
Viswashkumar recounted that the plane seemed to freeze in mid-air moments after takeoff. “The green and white lights were on… I could feel the engine thrust, and then suddenly, the plane crashed with speed into the hostel.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Gujarat, visited the crash site and later met Viswashkumar at the hospital to express solidarity and offer support.
