“No Idea How I Survived” – Sole Survivor of Air India Crash Speaks from Hospital Bed

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the only known survivor of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport en route to London Gatwick, has spoken from his hospital bed, saying he has “no idea” how he made it out alive.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which went down on Wednesday evening, was carrying 242 passengers, including 53 British nationals. According to Air India, others onboard included 169 Indian nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals.

Ramesh, a British citizen who was seated in 11A, described the terrifying moment of impact from the general ward of the civil hospital in Asarwa, Ahmedabad. “It all happened so quickly,” he said, recalling a “loud noise” just 30 seconds after takeoff. “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.” He sustained injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet.

Images from the crash site showed plumes of thick smoke and chaotic scenes as crowds gathered and traffic came to a halt.

Initially, authorities feared there were no survivors, but local police later confirmed that Ramesh had been pulled from the wreckage alive. His brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, told the BBC that the family was still in shock but relieved to see Vishwash alive. “It feels great seeing him doing well,” he said, adding that the survivor was more concerned about their other brother, Ajay, who was also onboard and remains unaccounted for. “When he called us he was just more worried about my other brother, like ‘Find Ajay, find Ajay.’ That’s all he cares about at the moment.”

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.