The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash has shared his heartbreak over not being able to save his brother, saying he continues to grapple with survivor’s guilt.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was seated in 11A, described his survival as a "miracle" following the tragedy that claimed 279 lives.
He said he had tried to arrange two adjacent seats in row 11, near the emergency exit, so he could sit next to his brother, Ajay.
Highlights
- Vishwash Kumar Ramesh spoke about experiencing survivor's guilt after being unable to save his brother, Ajay.
- Vishwash, the sole survivor of the Air India crash, attempted to return to the crash site to rescue his brother.
- He attended his brother’s funeral on Wednesday in their family’s hometown of Diu.
However, the seat next to 11A had already been taken, so Ajay ended up sitting in 11J.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India crash, has opened up about dealing with survivor's guilt
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"It's a miracle I survived," said the 40-year-old, as per The Sun. "I am OK physically but I feel terrible that I could not save Ajay.
"If we had been sat together we both might have survived.
"I tried to get two seats together but someone had already got one. Me and Ajay would have been sitting together.
"But I lost my brother in front of my eyes. So now I am constantly thinking, 'Why can't I save my brother?'"
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The survivor reportedly told his friends, "I wish I was not alive."
Vishwash was able to crawl through a hole in the twisted fuselage of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
After escaping tragedy, he tried to go back to the crash site to search for his brother.
Vishwash was unable to save his brother, Ajay, who was traveling with him to London, England
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Vishwash told a first emergency service worker, "My family member is in there, my brother, and he's burning to d*ath. I have to save him."
Satinder Singh Sandhu, the worker who led Vishwash to an ambulance, described him as looking "very disoriented and shocked."
He said the survivor was limping but was able to speak despite his injuries.
Vishwash attended his brother's funeral on Wednesday (June 18), a day after being discharged from the hospital
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"I had no idea that he was a passenger on the plane and thought he was a resident of the hostel or a passer-by," the worker stated.
"He told the paramedics that he was flying to London when the plane fell and that he wanted to go back to save his family."
Vishwash attended his brother's funeral in Gujarat on Wednesday (June 18). He appeared overcome with grief as he led the funeral procession through the streets of Diu, his family's hometown on the western Indian coast.
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After the crash, he was rushed to the Civil Hospital, where he spent five days recovering. He was discharged on Tuesday (June 17) and is currently in Diu.
Vishwash and Ajay ran a fishing boat business in India, which they had inherited from their father. Vishwash was traveling to England to reunite with his wife and four-year-old child in their home in Leicester.
"I tried to get two seats together but someone had already got one. Me and Ajay would have been sitting together," said Vishwash
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Air India Flight 171 took off from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat on June 12 and was headed to London Gatwick Airport. Shortly after takeoff, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into the hostel block used by students of B. J. Medical College.
The plane rose to 625 feet (approx. 190 m) before gradually losing altitude, and the pilot issued a mayday call, reporting a loss of power and thrust.
Vishwash said he sensed something was wrong with the plane shortly after takeoff. He described how "the lights started flickering" after it felt "like something got stuck" to the aircraft.
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"Everything happened in seconds," he said, as per The Sun. "I realised we were going down.
"The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding. After that, the plane seemed to speed up, before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.
"Everything was visible in front of my eyes when the crash happened.
"I too thought that I was about to d*e, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive."
"I am OK physically but I feel terrible that I could not save Ajay," the father shared
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Vishwash reacted quickly, unbuckling his seat belt after finding a way out of the aircraft.
He shared: "Where I landed was closer to the ground and there was space too, and when my door broke, I saw that there was space. I saw an opening. I used my leg to push through that opening, and crawled out.
Vishwash was able to crawl through a hole in the twisted fuselage of the aircraft
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"Everyone around me was either d*ad or dy*ng. I still don't understand how I escaped."
Vishwash's community is mourning the loss of 14 passengers who were aboard the doomed flight.
His brother, Ajay, was among the 279 victims of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash
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"He is getting great support from his family and they are obviously delighted he is alive," expressed Vishwash's childhood friend, Bipin Bamania.
"But they are all heartbroken as well over the loss of Ajay.
"I am very happy that he survived but also very sad that his brother d*ed."
Vishwash and Ajay ran a fishing boat business in India, which they had inherited from their father
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Both black boxes, the plane's cockpit voice recorder, and flight data recorder are being analyzed.
As reported by the BBC, investigators will also examine pilot licenses, training records, simulator performance, and instructor remarks, including how the pilots handled scenarios like engine failures in advanced flight simulators.
"Hope he gets help to move on and not feel that horrible guilt," expressed one reader
