A British man has walked away from the wreckage of the Air India crash that killed 241 people in an extraordinary tale of survival.
Vishwashkumar Ramesh was in seat 11A on the London-bound Boeing 787-8 flight when it crashed shortly after take off in Ahmedabad, western India.
Mr Ramesh’s brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, told BBC News Vishwashkumar “has no idea how he survived” and escaped the plane as the only survivor.
Air India said all other passengers and crew were killed – including 169 Indian nationals and 52 other Britons.
Watch: British passenger survives India plane crash, reports say
Nayan told the BBC “it feels great seeing him [Vishwashkumar] doing well” but he was worried about his other brother Ajay, who was also onboard.
“We were all in shock as soon as we heard what happened, just utter shock. Speechless,” he said.
“He [Vishwashkumar] himself has no idea how he survived, how he got out the plane.
“When he called us he was just more worried about my other brother, like ‘Find Ajay, find Ajay.’ That’s all he cares about at the moment.”
A relative called Jay told the PA news agency: “He’s got some injuries on his face. He was painted in blood. He’s doing well I think. It’s a big shock.”
Video shared on social media showed Mr Ramesh walking towards an ambulance, with smoke billowing in the background.
He was later seen in a hospital bed meeting Indian interior minister Amit Shah.
Indian media said Mr Ramesh shared his boarding pass, which showed his name and seat number.
He has a wife and child. The BBC understands he was born in India, but has lived in the UK for many years.
Amid the horror of the Air India crash that claimed at least 240 lives, one miraculous story stands out—that of British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a Leicester resident and the sole survivor. Seated in 11A, Ramesh walked away with only minor injuries after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential building moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
“Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” Ramesh recalled. “When I got up, there were bodies around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. Someone grabbed me and put me in an ambulance.”
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed the sole survivor is under treatment. Meanwhile, several British families are mourning. The Gloucester Muslim Society named victims Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee, and their daughter Sara. Couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, founders of a London wellness center, were also onboard.
King Charles and Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered condolences, while crisis teams have been deployed in the UK and India. The cause of the crash remains under investigation as nations grieve together.
