‘
Miracle of Seat 11A’: Sole Air India Crash Survivor Recalls Tragic Escape
AHMEDABAD, June 13 – In a tragedy that has stunned the nation, the only known survivor of the horrific Air India plane crash has recounted his miraculous escape from the burning wreckage. The disaster, which occurred just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad, claimed over 240 lives and is being called India’s deadliest aviation accident in a decade.
The survivor, Ramesh Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British citizen of Indian origin, was seated in seat 11A, near an emergency exit. Speaking from his hospital bed at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital, Ramesh described the terrifying moment the aircraft went down and burst into flames after crashing into the residential hostel area of BJ Medical College.
“I thought I was going to die,” he told DD News. “I could hear screams and feel the heat. Everything was chaos. But when I opened my eyes and saw I was alive, I knew I had to move fast. I unbuckled my seatbelt and crawled toward the broken emergency exit. I saw people dying around me — even the air hostess was gone in seconds.”
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route to London, carrying 242 passengers and crew. Within minutes of liftoff, the plane experienced technical difficulties before plunging into the college compound. The massive explosion was fueled by over 125,000 litres of aviation fuel, sending temperatures at the crash site soaring to 1,000°C, making rescue efforts nearly impossible.
Ramesh’s escape, now widely referred to as the “Miracle of Seat 11A,” has captivated media in both India and the UK. CCTV footage and mobile videos captured Ramesh limping down the street, his white T-shirt stained with blood, his face bruised but conscious and mobile.
His brother, Ajay Viswashkumar, who was seated in a different row, remains missing. “The side I was sitting on was exposed after impact. I could see light outside through a crack in the fuselage. That’s how I knew I had a chance. But the other side of the plane was pressed against a wall—there was no way out,” he added.
Hospital officials have confirmed Ramesh sustained non-life-threatening injuries, including minor burns and contusions, and remains under medical observation. “His survival is nothing short of a miracle,” one senior doctor noted.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with teams combing through the charred remains for bodies, flight data, and evidence to determine the cause of the crash. Authorities have yet to confirm the final death toll as DNA tests are underway to identify victims.
