Miraculous Survival of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh
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On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, tragically crashed into a hostel near Ahmedabad just 33 seconds after takeoff. Of the 242 people onboard, 241 were killed and at least 28 on the ground also perished.
In a rare stroke of fate, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40‑year‑old British national of Indian origin, seated in 11A by the emergency exit, emerged as the sole survivor. He was traveling with his brother Ajay, who sadly did not survive.
Ramesh sustained multiple injuries to his chest, face, and feet. He recounted hearing a “loud noise” about 30 seconds after takeoff before the plane descended rapidly. Miraculously, he managed to walk away from the wreckage, bloodied but alive . Doctors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital report that he is stable, expected to be discharged in the coming days.
Investigators—including Indian authorities, the UK’s AAIB, and Boeing—are meticulously combing through the aircraft’s black boxes to determine the cause of the crash.
Ramesh’s exceptional survival, particularly from an emergency exit seat, highlights both the unpredictability of such tragedies and the resilience of the human spirit.
