In a horrific tragedy, the Air India AI-171 flight from London to Ahmedabad crashed just minutes after takeoff on June 12, killing 241 of the 242 individuals on board. The only survivor, Ramesh Vishwaskumar, a British national of 40 years of age, survived the wreckage with serious injuries.
Lone Survivor From the Fatal Crash
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner exploded into Meghani Nagar, near Ahmedabad Airport, just 15 kilometers away, shortly after takeoff. Ramesh was aboard with his older brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, who is missing and presumed dead. He had traveled to India to see family and was returning to the UK with his brother.
Ramesh Vishwaskumar was sitting in 11A. He is now in a serious medical condition after he received injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet. All the same, he was able to escape the on-fire plane with the assistance of an unknown individual who helped him into an ambulance.
Miracle in tragedy
Out of 242 passengers on AI 171 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, only one — Ramesh Vishwaskumar — survived this horrifying plane crash. pic.twitter.com/7g0DjB76YD— Tajinder Bagga (@TajinderBagga) June 12, 2025
“I was frightened. I got up and ran. There were bodies everywhere around me.” “There were plane parts everywhere,” Ramesh revealed to Hindustan Times.
The accident shook the country, killing erstwhile Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Of those killed were 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
Chaos and Grief Outside Ahmedabad Hospital
Rescue teams took the injured victims to BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad after the crash. Distraught family members gathered outside the hospital, hoping for news of their relatives. In a clip shared by ANI, a man says, “They will not let us in. My brother-in-law and my sister are inside. They were headed to London.” My niece is in London, and they were planning to visit her. She called me from London to inform me that her parents were on the plane, and then I came running here…”
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, while rescue teams continue efforts as family members seek closure and answers.
