In what can only be described as a miraculous escape, a British man, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, is the sole survivor of a devastating Air India plane crash that claimed more than 200 lives. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 went down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad in western India.
Ramesh, who was sitting in seat 11A, somehow emerged alive from the smoldering wreckage. The flight, headed for Gatwick Airport, carried 230 people on board, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian.
“I have no idea how I made it out,” Ramesh told family members, still dazed from the ordeal. His brother, speaking from their home in Leicester, said the family is in shock. “We’re devastated. He said he doesn’t even remember how he escaped the aircraft.”
Ramesh was bloodied but alive, seen walking through smoke toward an ambulance in a video that quickly spread online. Now recovering in a hospital, he has already met with India’s Interior Minister Amit Shah, who visited to offer support.
But the survival story comes with heartbreak. Ramesh’s cousin, Ajay, was also on the plane—and remains unaccounted for. “He’s okay physically,” said another relative. “But this is a massive emotional trauma. He was covered in blood. It’s a miracle he’s alive.”
The crash site, tragically, was just seconds from the airport runway—impacting living quarters used by local doctors. Emergency crews have so far recovered 204 bodies, with dozens more injured.
Among the confirmed victims are three members of a British family: Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee, and their young daughter Sara, as announced by the Gloucester Muslim Society.
The disaster has prompted an outpouring of condolences from around the world. In a message from King Charles, he and Queen Camilla expressed their “deepest possible sympathy” to the victims’ families. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the incident “absolutely devastating,” while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the tragedy was “heart-breaking beyond words.”
In response, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has activated crisis support teams in both countries. London Gatwick Airport is now hosting a reception centre for affected families, offering updates and support.
The plane, Air India flight AI171, departed Ahmedabad at 1:39 PM local time and was due to arrive in London by evening. A verified video shows the jet descending before erupting into flames on impact.
As investigations continue, one man’s survival stands out against a backdrop of unimaginable loss—a fragile beacon of hope amid overwhelming grief.