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Viswashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash, shares ordeal of ‘psychological scars’ that haunt him to this day. A year after the tragedy, the trauma lives on, impacting his ability to work and earn a living.
Viswashkumar Ramesh, the only survivor of Air India plane crash, struggles with ‘psychological scars’ even a year after tragedy.(REUTERS)The tragic Air India plane crash left "significant psychological scars" for Viswashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of London-bound Flight 171. Ramesh had a close shave with life after the Air India plane crashed moments after take-off. In the tragic accident, his brother and 260 others lost their lives. His extraordinary presence on mind in the crisis saved his life but left a void that cannot be filled.
On 12 June 2025, the passenger flight went down some distance away from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad from where it took off. A year after the tragedy, Ramesh, a resident of Leicester, deeply regrets losing his sibling despite the "miracle" of his own survival and claimed, crash "took all my happiness" in an interview with BBC. Due to the trauma, he had been unable to return to work.
'Trauma didn't end on the day of the disaster,r says Ramesh
Recalling one of the deadliest aviation disasters on its anniversary, Ramesh said, “What many people perhaps don't fully appreciate is that the trauma didn't end on the day of the disaster,” BBC reported. Sharing the ordeal of loss and misery, he added, “I live with the significant psychological scars, the loss of my brother, and the constant unanswered questions around how and why this happened.”
Quick answers to key questions
Air India Flight 171 crashed on June 12, 2025, shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground. The investigation revealed that fuel switches moved to the 'cut-off' position immediately after take-off.
Ramesh has been haunted by significant psychological scars and the loss of his brother after the crash. He expressed that the trauma didn't end on the day of the disaster, affecting his ability to work and his daily life.
Ramesh is pursuing legal action due to the unanswered questions regarding the crash's circumstances and to hold responsible parties accountable as he continues to struggle physically, psychologically, and financially.
Families of the victims received an interim compensation of £21,500 from Air India. However, many affected families, including Ramesh, have expressed a lack of tailored support from the UK government.
Firefighters confronted extreme challenges, including thick smoke, intense heat reaching nearly 1,000 degrees Celsius, and the chaotic scene of buildings struck by debris. They conducted a coordinated operation to rescue 28 individuals amid the ongoing risk of explosions.
Seeking honesty, transparency and answers, he noted, “I know those questions are not just on my mind - they are on the minds of every affected family.” Preliminary investigation revealed that the plane's fuel switches moved to the "cut-off" position "immediately" after take-off, stopping fuel supply to the engine but final findings on the reasons behind the crash are yet to be published.
Air India compensates families of victims
Families all of the victims of the plane crash received an interim compensation of £21,500 from Air India, including Ramesh. The lone survivor who lives with his wife and five-year-old son continues to struggle “physically, psychologically and financially”, Ramesh's representative Sanjiv Patel said.
"They're not alone. Despite one of the worst aviation disasters involving British citizens in recent years, neither Viswash nor many of the affected families we have spoken to have received any direct contact or tailored support from the UK government," BBC quoted Sanjiv Patel as saying.
According to PA news agency, Ramesh took legal course and is set for civil action with his legal team saying, “We will be examining every detail of the air accident investigations.” The report further noted that civil claims were being considered against a number of potential defendants.
Hudgell Solicitors' Paul McClorry in a statement said there had been "significant dialogue" between the law firm and legal representatives for Air India, who had been "very cooperative". Suggesting that there should be complete transparency and a willingness to accept responsibility, he added, ""We are awaiting the findings of the investigations, and we should finally start to see some clarity as to how and why this awful disaster happened, and, crucially, how it could have been avoided."
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