“I Don’t Know How I Survived”: Sole Survivor of Air India Dreamliner Crash Speaks Out
In a devastating crash near Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171 crashed into a medical college dormitory just 30 seconds after takeoff, killing all but one aboard. That lone survivor, 40‑year‑old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, has recounted the terrifying few seconds he spent trapped in the wreckage before crawling to safety from fuselage debris.
Seated in 11A, beside an emergency exit, Ramesh believes his positioning and timing were crucial. “I think the side I was on did not face the building,” he told The Guardian, suggesting he avoided the full force of impact. That seat, chance—and perhaps quick reflexes—helped him escape just as fragments of the aircraft door erupted nearby .
He recalls flickering cabin lights and a deep rumble moments before impact. When debris shifted, Ramesh managed to unbuckle himself, pushed through the shattered door, and "slipped out"—even as the plane exploded behind him. With his brother Ajay, seated next to him, apparently killed, Ramesh whispered over video call to their father amid the wreckage:
“I don’t know how I’m alive.”
Ramesh has burns and bruises on his face, chest, and feet but is now “stable and lucid,” receiving treatment at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Doctors confirm he is no longer in critical condition. The fast rescue response and his physical and mental resilience have been described as nothing short of extraordinary.
Flight 171 carried 169 Indian nationals and 53 British citizens, plus others from Portugal and Canada, and impacted a hostel housing medical students—the total death toll now exceeds 267, including survivors on the ground. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles expressed deep sorrow, while India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ramesh at the hospital.
A combination of factors likely saved Ramesh:
- Proximity to an emergency exit
- His side of the fuselage avoiding direct collision
- Quick reaction to unbuckle and escape
- Debris door blasting off, creating an exit point
Investigators are also reviewing video showing the debris trajectory to understand collapse dynamics—and whether that door was indeed his escape path
