By Ayomide Otitoju
The family of the lone survivor of Thursday’s Air India Flight 171 crash is grappling with mixed emotions — relief over his miraculous escape and heartbreak over the loss of his brother.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is believed to be the only person to have survived when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India. The aircraft crashed into a canteen building, killing at least 24 people on the ground, including students having lunch.
Ramesh’s cousin, speaking outside the family’s home in Leicester, said the household was “torn” by the tragedy.
“We are happy Vishwash has been saved, but on the other hand, we are just heartbroken about Ajay,” he told AFP.
Ramesh and his brother Ajay, who also lived in Leicester, ran a confectionery business together and had just returned from a vacation in India. The family had been preparing to pick them up from Gatwick Airport when news of the crash broke.
Ramesh, who was reportedly seated in 11A, managed to call his father from the wreckage. “Our plane has crashed,” he said, according to his cousin. “I am just waiting for my brother… I am totally fine.”
Footage widely circulated online showed Ramesh walking away from the wreckage, his face bloodied. Later images featured him in a hospital bed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ramesh in hospital on Friday, and the survivor recounted the ordeal to India’s DD News: “Even I couldn’t believe how I managed to come out alive.”
Indian authorities are investigating the crash. Meanwhile, British officials have confirmed that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is offering consular support to Ramesh.
Back in Leicester, relatives were attempting to secure flights to Ahmedabad as they continue to search for information on Ajay, whose phone rang unanswered after the crash.
“They are wonderful and heartful people,” said Kantilal, a relative. “The greatest men I have ever seen in my life, both of them.”
