VIDEO: Lone Survivor Of Air India Plane Crash That Took 241 Lives, Speaks For The First Time

This is nothing short of a miracle.

The lone survivor of the Air India plane crash that claimed the lives of 241 passengers has spoken for the first time since the tragic accident.

While being interviewed in the hospital bed, Viswash Kumar Ramesh explained how he was able to escape from his seat seconds before the Air India plane exploded.

CBS covered the story more in-depth:

Out of the 242 people who were on board Air India flight AI171 when the plane crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, moments after takeoff, just one is believed to have survived. A day later, that survivor, British national Viswash Kumar Ramesh, spoke about the moment the plane “came to a standstill” in midair, and how he escaped from seat 11A and walked out of the wreckage with a burnt hand.

“Everything happened in front of my eyes. I don’t believe (know) how I survived,” Ramesh, 40, said from his hospital bed on Friday. “For some time I thought I was also going to die. But when I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive. … It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others (died).”

His brother had been sitting right next to him on the flight, Ramesh’s cousin, Ajay Valgi, told CBS News partner network BBC News, after he said he spoke to Ramesh on the phone. The brother’s whereabouts are unknown.
“After the takeoff, within a minute, it felt like the plane came to a standstill (in air) for 5 to 10 seconds,” Ramesh said. “The green and white (cabin) lights turned on in the flight. I could feel engine thrust increasing to go up, but it crashed with speed into the (building).”

Once he realized what had happened, he said he tried to unbuckle from his seat and get out. Local media outlets who spoke with him said he had a ticket for the flight showing he was seated in 11A, which police also confirmed. It was right by an exit row door.

Watch here:

The sole survivor of the London-bound Air India plane that crashed into a hostel for medical students is recalling the moment the plane felt like it was at “a standstill” in the air before it came down. 40-year-old Viswash Kumar Ramesh spoke from his hospital bed, saying he… pic.twitter.com/vZL4ofRrWp

— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 13, 2025

CNN added details on Ramesh’s health:

Air India later confirmed that of the 242 people on board the flight, 241 had died, making Ramesh the sole survivor.
His cousin Ajay Valgi told reporters in Leicester, England, that Ramesh had called his family to tell them he’s “fine,” adding that they were upset about his brother and all of the others who died.

A doctor told CNN that Ramesh’s condition was “not very critical” and that he could be released in the next couple of days.

“He has some blood in the images, but he’s not very badly injured. He is very comfortable and under strict observation, no issues,” said Dr. Rajnish Patel, professor and head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

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Indian news outlets have shared a photo of Ramesh’s boarding pass, which indicates that he was in seat 11A of the flight, in the emergency exit row, just in front of the plane’s left wing. CNN hasn’t independently confirmed the veracity of the photo.

CNN safety analyst and former US Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector David Soucie expressed surprise that someone seated at that part of the plane would survive such a crash.

That seat is “right where the spar of the wing would go under and it would be a solid place for the aircraft to hit the ground, but as far as survivability above it, that is incredibly surprising,” he told CNN.

“I don’t know how I am alive,” said Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 38, the sole known survivor of #AirIndia Flight 171, who called his family in #Britain just moments after escaping the wreckage. “Our plane crashed,” he said. “I have no idea how I got outside.”#AirIndiaPlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/SbTiA1BiDd

— Ifeng News (@IFENG__official) June 13, 2025

Here’s what President Trump had to say about the crash:

🚨President Trump speaks on the Air India plane crash this morning:

"The plane crash was terrible. I've already told them, anything we can do. We will be over there immediately."
pic.twitter.com/wurBnysvQa

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 12, 2025

What’s your view on this?