Daijiworld Media Network – Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, Jun 13: In a tale of incredible survival, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the lone survivor of the tragic Air India flight AI-171 crash, shared his horrifying experience from his hospital bed in Ahmedabad.

The 40-year-old British national of Indian origin recounted to DD News the final terrifying moments before the aircraft went down. “The aircraft wasn’t gaining height, just gliding. Suddenly, it slammed into a building and exploded. I knew we were going down,” he said.

Ramesh, seated at 11A near a window, said he initially thought he was dead. “When I saw a crack in the fuselage, I used my leg to push through it and crawled out. Everyone around me was dead or dying. I still don’t understand how I escaped,” he added.

Dramatic video footage captured a bloodied and dazed Ramesh stumbling out of the burning wreckage, shouting in Gujarati, “Plane fatyo che!” His cousin earlier revealed that Ramesh had jumped out through a broken door before losing consciousness.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed just 33 seconds after takeoff, striking a medical college hostel and erupting in flames. A total of 241 passengers and crew, including Ramesh’s brother, perished in the crash.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the injured at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met Ramesh, calling him a ‘miracle survivor.’ Modi also surveyed the crash site and expressed deep sorrow on X, saying, “The scene of devastation is saddening… Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy.”

As investigations and rescue efforts continue, Ramesh’s story stands out as a testament to human resilience amidst one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters.