Sole Survivor of Plane Crash in India Shares Extraordinary Tale

Viswash Kumar Ramesh emerged as the only survivor from the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171, which left 241 others dead. He shares his story of survival amidst chaos and destruction.

Only one passenger made it alive out of the 242 people aboard Air India Flight 171 when the aircraft crashed mere moments after leaving the Ahmedabad airport, colliding with a building. In a miraculous turn of events, Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 38, walked away from the disaster, while the flames consumed the wreckage.

Footage circulated on social media showing Ramesh, visibly injured but mobile, as he made his way to an ambulance. “I came from inside the plane,” he told distressed onlookers, encapsulating an impossible scenario few would believe. The severity of the crash was such that officials reported that most of the victims’ bodies were beyond recognition. Late in the day, Air India confirmed Ramesh as the lone survivor, prompting visits from Indian officials, including home minister Amit Shah.

“I still can’t believe how I got out alive,” Ramesh shared in a hospital interview with India's Doordarshan. Reflecting on the moments right before impact, he recalled feeling as though the aircraft was “stuck” shortly after takeoff. Witnessing the front of the plane strike buildings and the rear become lodged in one, he seized an opportunity to escape when he unbuckled his seatbelt.

Gaining access to an exit bay, Ramesh said he managed to escape while others remained trapped due to the catastrophic crash conditions. A British citizen vacationing in India with his brother Ajay, who was tragically seated in 11J, Ramesh received support from his family back home in Leicester, where both grief and wonder played out at his miraculous survival.

The family is now left to mourn for Ajay while reflecting on the incredible twist of fate that allowed Viswash to escape a deadly accident that could have ended differently.