By Kingsley In what is now the world’s deadliest aviation disaster in a decade, over 240 people were killed when an Air India flight bound for London crashed in a residential area of Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025. Amid the devastation, one man survived — Ramesh Viswashkumar.
According to Indian police, Viswashkumar, a British national, had been seated near an emergency exit when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down. In a harrowing account from his hospital bed, he recalled waking up to find “bodies all around me.”
“I was scared. I stood up and ran,” he told the Hindustan Times. “There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance.”
Authorities say it is unclear whether Viswashkumar jumped from the aircraft before or after impact, but his proximity to the emergency exit likely played a crucial role in his survival. Social media footage appears to show him limping, bloodied, and dazed, shortly after the crash.
His brother Ajay, who was also on board, remains unaccounted for. The family in the UK is anxiously awaiting news. “We’re not doing well. We’re all upset,” said a cousin, Ajay Valgi, in an interview with the BBC.
The aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel just outside the airport during lunchtime, killing passengers and individuals on the ground. Earlier reports of a death toll of 294 were revised after authorities confirmed that some victims had been double-counted.
Viswashkumar, who is married with one child, remains the only confirmed survivor as rescue operations continue.
“We hope others may still be found alive,” said senior police officer Vidhi Chaudhary.