You’ve probably heard by now that the only surviving passenger from Air India flight AI171 was a British national named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was in India for a few days visiting his family and was going back to the UK with his brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh, who tragically died in the crash.
This footage of Vishwash, 40, walking away from the wreckage and shooing away any attempt to help him has to be one of the bad@ss things I think I’ve seen for a while:
JUST IN: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor of the Air India Boeing 787 crash, according to India Today.
Ramesh, 40, says there was a loud noise after takeoff.
“Thirty seconds after take off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so… pic.twitter.com/odls9uFKXK
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 12, 2025
Guy looks like he wants to go right back to the airport, board another plane, and try again? Did he have an important meeting back in London or what?
Now I’m sure a lot of that has to do with the adrenaline pumping through his body and it’s possible Vishwash collapsed into an exhausted heap as soon as he made it to the ambulance, but by all accounts he’s doing fine and has even spoken to the media about the experience, saying:
“Thirty seconds after take off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.”
“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
Incredibly, Vishwash changed seats at the last minute while on the plane and moved to Seat 11A, which would be the very first row in the main cabin and right next to the emergency exit:
A decision that most likely saved his life, even though most plane crash survivors (as rare as they are) are usually located at the back of the plane. Vishwash looks like a healthy, sturdy guy, so it seems as though he survived the impact and then made his way out, and somehow left enough distance behind him to not be engulfed by the flames that took hold.
Speaking outside the family home in Leicester, Vishwash’s brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, said Vishwash has ‘no idea’ how he survived:
“I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We’re devastated, just devastated. He said I have no idea how I exited the plane.”
However he did it, it’s wonderful news for him and his friends and family, although they still have to deal with the tragedy of losing Vishwash’s brother Ajay in the crash. Our thought and sympathies to all family and friends and the remaining passengers who didn’t make it, and let’s hope the investigation into the crash yields some answers soon.
Here’s everything we know about the investigation and what may have occurred, thus far.
