‘I Thought I’d Die, But I Walked Out’: Vishwash Kumar, Lone Survivor of Ahmedabad Air India Plane Crash, Shares His Story
A day after the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 241 lives, the only survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, has spoken publicly for the first time, offering a heartbreaking yet miraculous account of his escape.
The 40-year-old British national of Indian origin was seated in row 11A, beside a left side window and near the emergency exit in the economy section on the Air India AI-171 crash plane. Speaking to DD News from his hospital bed at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, Kumar described the moments of chaos and disbelief as the plane went down just seconds after takeoff.
“Even I can’t believe how I came out of it alive. For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too,” he said. “But when I opened my eyes and looked around, I realized I was still here.”
The aircraft, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into a residential area. At BJ Medical College hostel and campus near Meghani Nagar only 33 seconds after takeoff. The impact was brutal—engulfing most of the aircraft in flames and debris. The passengers included 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian according to Air India.
Also read: Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Only One Survivor of Air India Flight AI-171; 265 death
Kumar said that when the plane take off within 5-10 seconds it like the aircraft “stuck in the air, the lights inside flickered green and white, and the plane hit into establishment.
He believes his survival came down to luck and where he was sitting. The section he was in didn’t crash into the roof of the buildings like the rest of the plane.
“When I saw the emergency exit, I thought maybe I could get out. I tried, and I did. Maybe the others on the opposite side didn’t get that chance,” he said.
Kumar suffered burns on his left hand, but his injuries were not life-threatening. The emotional toll, however, was clear. “I still don’t know how I made it out alive,” he said. “I saw people dying right in front of me—the flight attendants, and two passengers who were sitting close by. Somehow, I managed to walk out of the rubble,’ he said visibly shaken.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the hospital and met with Kumar in person.
“The Prime Minister asked how I was and what happened. I told him I was okay,” Kumar said.
As investigations continue and families mourn unimaginable loss, Kumar’s story stands as a rare glimmer of hope—a living witness to one of the deadliest air disasters in recent Indian history.
