Months after the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, the tragedy continues to haunt Viswashkurnar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the accident that claimed 241 lives, including that of his brother, Ajaykumar.
Ramesh, who was seated in Seat 11A beside the emergency exit of the Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (AI171), managed to escape through the emergency exit moments before the aircraft plummeted into a medical hostel building shortly after takeoff. His brother, seated elsewhere, was among those who perished on board.
Speaking to Sky News, the Leicester-based businessman described how what many call a “miracle” has turned into an unending nightmare. “It’s very painful talking about the plane,” Ramesh said, often lapsing into silence during the interview.
Haunted by Memories of the Crash
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, a severely injured Ramesh told DD India that when he stood up, “there were bodies all around.” From his hospital bed, he had pleaded for help in finding his brother.
Months later, he says the trauma still grips him. “I just think about my brother… For me, he was everything,” he told Sky News. His wife now cares for him at their Leicester home, where he largely isolates himself in his bedroom, unable to return to normal life.
Ramesh continues to suffer from knee, shoulder, and back pain, along with burns to his left arm, which make even daily tasks difficult. “My wife helps me shower,” he said. The emotional toll has also strained his relationship with his four-year-old son, Divang. “He’s okay,” Ramesh said quietly, “but I’m not talking properly with him.”
Financial Struggles and Appeal for Support
Ramesh and his late brother had invested all their savings into a fishing business in India, travelling frequently between the UK and India to oversee operations. Since the crash, the business has collapsed, leaving both his UK and Indian families without income.
Community leader Sanjiv Patel and adviser Radd Seiger, who accompanied Ramesh during the interview, said Air India has provided an interim payment of £21,500 (approximately ₹21.9 lakh). While acknowledging the payment, they stressed that it was inadequate given Ramesh’s ongoing physical and emotional challenges.
“The amount doesn’t even touch the sides,” Seiger said, adding that Ramesh urgently needs comprehensive support—including assistance for his child’s schooling, food, medical care, and psychiatric help. They have also called on Air India CEO Campbell Wilson to personally meet Ramesh and the families of other victims “to talk as humans.”
Air India Responds
In response, an Air India spokesperson said the airline remains “deeply conscious of our responsibility to provide Mr. Ramesh with support through what must have been an unimaginable period.”
“Care for him, and indeed all families affected by the tragedy, remains our absolute priority,” the spokesperson added. “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 June 12 crash killed 241 of the 242 people on board, as well as 19 others on the ground, marking one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history.
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