Viswashkumar Ramesh, 39, is the sole survivor of the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad that killed many passengers, including his younger brother. Although he calls his escape a "miracle," he suffers from severe PTSD and persistent injuries to his legs, shoulder, knee and back. Family representatives say Ramesh has withdrawn from his wife and young son and they are seeking a meeting with Air India executives; the airline says support remains a priority and an offer to meet is open.
‘Luckiest man alive’ — Air India crash's sole survivor mourns brother, battles PTSD and injuries
Viswashkumar Ramesh, 39, is the sole survivor of the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad that killed many passengers, including his younger brother. Although he calls his escape a "miracle," he suffers from severe PTSD and persistent injuries to his legs, shoulder, knee and back. Family representatives say Ramesh has withdrawn from his wife and young son and they are seeking a meeting with Air India executives; the airline says support remains a priority and an offer to meet is open.
01:51, 04.11.2025Society
Air India crash's sole survivor says he feels like the "luckiest man" but is haunted by trauma
Viswashkumar Ramesh, 39, the only person to walk away from the wreckage of Air India flight AI 171, told BBC News that surviving felt like a "miracle" — but the label feels cruel as he mourns his younger brother and struggles with ongoing physical and psychological injuries.
Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, crashed into the Meghani Nagar residential area in Ahmedabad about five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time. There were 242 passengers and crew on board.
Video from the scene showed smoke rising from the wreckage as Ramesh stumbled away with relatively minor visible wounds. He later described unbuckling his seatbelt and crawling out of the fuselage through an opening near his seat, 11A. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited him in hospital.
"I lost my brother as well. My brother is my backbone. Last few years, he was always supporting me," Ramesh told the BBC.
Back home in Leicester, Ramesh's advisers say he has been diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while hospitalized in India but has not received ongoing treatment since his return to the U.K. He also continues to experience significant physical pain in his legs, shoulder, knee and back that affects walking, driving and working.
Advisers and family representatives describe him as "lost and broken." They say he has withdrawn from his wife and their 4-year-old son and spends much of his time alone. Local community leader Sanjiv Patel and family spokesman Radd Seiger have urged senior Air India officials to meet families affected by the crash to discuss mental, physical and financial support.
Seiger and Patel say repeated requests for a meeting with senior airline executives have been ignored or declined. Air India, now owned by Tata Group, told BBC News that company leaders have continued to visit victims' families and that an offer to meet Ramesh's representatives "remains open." The airline said care for those affected by the crash "remains our absolute priority." Fox News Digital has reached out to Air India for further comment.
Context: The crash has prompted investigations and widespread public concern about aviation safety, survivor support and the families of the deceased.