NEW DELHI: The only survivor of the Air India AI-171 crash, Viswashkumar Ramesh, was discharged from Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on Wednesday morning, six days after the disaster that killed over 240 people. The British national of Indian origin was travelling with his brother, Ajaykumar Ramesh, on the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner when it crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad last Thursday. The aircraft came down within 30 seconds of becoming airborne. While his brother, seated across the aisle in 11J, is among the deceased. Video clips from the crash site show the 38-year-old stumbling and bleeding, repeatedly shouting in Gujarati: “Plane fatyo che! Plane fatyo che!” (“The plane exploded!”). Officials confirmed that the mortal remains of his brother were handed over to the family on Tuesday night.
‘Where is my brother?’
Still recovering from shock and head injuries, Viswashkumar initially refused to speak after being rescued. From his bed in Ward B7 of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, he reportedly asked: “Where is my brother? Leave me alone. I don’t want to talk. Can anyone tell me where he is?” In a brief conversation with his cousin Dhirendra Somabhai, he recalled hearing strange noises and feeling the aircraft stalling before the pilot’s emergency call: “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” He said he remembers “jumping through a door” and then waking up in chaos. According to Ayub Mansuri, a close family friend who dropped the brothers at the airport that morning, Viswashkumar spoke to him three times after the crash before his phone went dead. “I rushed to the hospital and found him injured,” he said.
From Diu to London
The Ramesh brothers were among 15 residents of Bucharwada and Vanakbara villages in Diu travelling on AI-171. Originally from the coastal town of Diu, Viswashkumar had lived in the UK for over 15 years. He and his brother ran a garment business in London and also managed a fishing enterprise back in India. Authorities said Viswashkumar was identified as the sole survivor around 2.30pm on the day of the crash, after which his hospital ward was sealed off.
