Air India AI-171 Crash: Sole survivor haunted by loss, grief and trauma

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh

On June 12 this year, Air India Flight 171 crashed into the hostel block of B J Medical College in Ahmedabad, just seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The tragedy claimed 241 lives, 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground. Miraculously, one man survived.

Forty-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen from Leicester, was seated in 11A by the emergency exit. When the aircraft tore through the college hostel, he managed to escape through the wreckage. But his survival came at immense personal cost, his younger brother Ajay, seated across the aisle, died in the crash.

Ramesh is still in India three months after the crash, undergoing psychiatric treatment. According to his cousin Sunny, he suffers from insomnia, frequent nightmares, and avoids conversations even with family abroad. His wife and young son have returned to the UK for the school term.

Relatives fear Vishwash may never fly again. “I think he’ll stay in India. He’s too frightened to get on a plane,” said his brother-in-law.

In early interviews, Vishwash recounted the horror. “Within five to ten seconds of take-off, it felt like the plane was stuck mid-air. The lights started flickering green and white. Then it crashed," he said.

“I was scared. I just ran. Someone grabbed me and put me in an ambulance,” he added. Treated for chest, foot and eye injuries, he was discharged five days later, the same day his brother’s remains were handed over. A video from June 18 showed him carrying Ajay’s ashes during the funeral in Diu.

While Vishwash battles grief, other families have accused authorities of mishandling remains and providing little clarity. A letter to UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called for “accountability, responsibility, and action.”

Air India has issued interim compensation of around £21,500 to most families. Tata Sons also pledged £85,000 per family from a separate charitable fund. Vishwash may be eligible for further compensation for physical and psychological harm, but his wife confirmed it's unclear whether any payment has been received.

Meanwhile, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released a preliminary report in July, pointing to a possible fuel-control switch malfunction. A leaked cockpit voice recording revealed one pilot asking, “Why did he cut off?” followed by “I did not.”

Families criticised the report for being incomplete and unfairly suggesting pilot error. James Healy-Pratt, a lawyer for over 20 British families, accused the AAIB of “lack of transparency.”