Miraculous! Passenger on Seat 11A Survives Air India Crash, Says, “Bodies All Around Me”

British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was seated on 11A, miraculously survives Air India’s London-bound crash that claimed scores of lives.

Ahmedabad | June 12, 2025 —
Amid the smoke, wreckage and chaos of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, one voice emerges from a hospital ward—that of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national, who survived the catastrophic incident. Seated on seat 11A, Vishwash escaped the mangled remains of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with serious injuries but a miracle survival story.

Also Read: Air India Plane Crash LIVE Updates: All 242 People On Board Feared Dead!

“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” Vishwash told Hindustan Times from his bed at the Civil Hospital in Asarwa.

The Air India flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, had 242 people on board, including 10 crew members. The aircraft took off at 1:39 pm, issued a Mayday call, and went down in a residential area minutes later.

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Survivor’s Account of the Crash

Also Read: How Did A 12-Year-Old Boeing 787 Crash Hours After Delhi Flight?

Vishwash and his brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh (45) were flying back to the UK after a short family visit to India and a trip to Diu. Though they were seated in different rows, only Vishwash has been located so far.

“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 recalled.

Clutching his boarding pass, Vishwash said he suffered chest, eye and foot injuries, but remains haunted by the thought of his missing brother.

Also Read: What Was the Chilling ‘Mayday’ Call Before Air India’s Deadly Crash?

“We travelled together. I can’t find him. Please help me find him,” he pleaded.

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Desperate Searches at the Hospital

The Civil Hospital has become the focal point for desperate families searching for their loved ones. Among them are family members of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was also on the ill-fated flight.

His former aide, Sailesh Mandliya, told HT:

“We are looking for him. If you find out something, let me know.”

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Air India crash, Ahmedabad plane crash, AI171 survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, London-bound flight, Vijay Rupani, aviation disaster, Boeing 787, crash survivor testimony