The sole survivor of the devastating Air India crash has broken his silence in a deeply emotional interview, revealing the toll the tragedy has taken on his life, his mental health, and his young family.
Speaking to ITV News, Midland father Vishwashkumar Ramesh shared that he now lives in isolation, unable to speak to his friends or even spend time with his four-year-old son.
“I’m just alone, living in my room, sitting on my bed,” he said quietly.
A Family Torn Apart by Tragedy
Ramesh, a businessman from Leicester, survived the Air India Flight 171 disaster that killed 260 people, including his younger brother, Ajay. The brothers had been returning home after visiting India to manage their family fishing business.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12 this year. Losing altitude almost immediately, the aircraft plunged into the B.J. Medical College complex, igniting a massive fire.
Among the 241 passengers and crew, 168 were Indian nationals and 53 were British citizens, Sky News detailed. Nineteen people on the ground were also killed, and another 67 were injured in the impact and subsequent fires.
Vishwash, bloodied and disoriented but alive, emerged from the wreckage wearing just one shoe. Witnesses recalled seeing him stumbling through the smoke, trying desperately to call his father in Leicester and search for his brother, who never made it off the plane.
Air India flight AI-171 carrying 242 people en route to London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff. Credit: Ritesh Shukla / Getty Images.
“I Lost My Younger Brother. My Whole Family Broke Down.”
Four months later, Ramesh says his life has been permanently altered. “It’s completely different, after this tragedy,” he told ITV News during a recent interview.
“Physically, mentally… I lost my younger brother. My whole family broke down, completely. In the last four months, I’m not talking with my friends, my family.”
He admits that his grief has distanced him from his son as well. “He likes to spend time with me. But I’m not giving time to him. Because mentally, I’m completely…” he trailed off, struggling to finish the sentence.
When asked how it feels to be called a “miracle survivor,” he paused for a long moment. “It feels good,” he said finally, “but at the same time, I lost my brother on the same flight.”
The ITV Interview That Revealed Hidden Pain
The ITV interview captured Ramesh’s quiet suffering, but also a plea for help. Sitting between his advisor Sanjiv Patel and legal representative Radd Seiger, Ramesh explained that he continues to have flashbacks, vivid but indescribable memories of the crash that haunt him daily.
The most haunting moment of the broadcast came when it was revealed that Ramesh’s mother had given a televised interview appealing for help to find her missing son, completely unaware that he had survived, but his younger brother had not. It was only later that the family learned the heartbreaking truth.
For Ramesh, recounting the events of that day remains too painful. Instead, he focused on how his life has changed and the support he desperately needs from Air India as he struggles to rebuild.
The Air India crash claimed 260 lives. Credit: Hindustan Times / Getty Images.
Calls for Air India to Do More for the Survivor
Legal advisor Radd Seiger has urged Air India to take direct action to support Ramesh and his grieving family.
“It isn’t difficult advice to give,” Seiger told ITV News. “Go and meet, not your junior people, the CEO or the leadership team. Build an outreach programme. He’s the sole survivor. Sit with him for half an hour and listen to his suffering and his family’s suffering, and then deploy your resources accordingly.”
Seiger and Patel have been guiding Ramesh through his legal and emotional journey, emphasizing that his survival story should compel Air India to offer more than just words of sympathy.
Air India Responds to the Survivor’s Plea
In a statement to ITV News, Air India expressed sorrow over the tragedy and said it remains committed to supporting all those affected. “We are deeply conscious of our responsibility to provide Mr Ramesh with support through what must have been an unimaginable period,” the airline said. “Care for him, and indeed all families affected by the tragedy, remains our absolute priority.
“Senior leaders from across Tata Group continue to visit families to express their deepest condolences. An offer has been made to Mr Ramesh’s representatives to arrange such a meeting, and we very much hope to receive a positive response,” the statement continued.
“We are keenly aware this continues to be an incredibly difficult time for all affected and continue to offer the support, compassion, and care we can in the circumstances.”
A Survivor Still Searching for Healing
For now, Vishwashkumar Ramesh’s life remains overshadowed by loss. Despite being hailed as a miracle survivor, he says he struggles daily to understand why he lived when so many others — including his brother — did not.
“I’m not the same person anymore,” he said. “I lost everything that day.”