A stunning new video has emerged from the scene of Thursday’s devastating Air India Flight AI171 crash, capturing the only known survivor, British national Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 40, calmly walking away from the wreckage while speaking on his phone — just moments after the aircraft erupted into a massive fireball.
The footage, recorded near the B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, where part of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed, shows Ramesh in a visibly dazed state, seemingly unaware of the towering flames and screams behind him as the aircraft exploded. Witnesses say he emerged from the mangled fuselage covered in soot, but without visible injuries.
The ill-fated flight had just taken off en route to London Gatwick when it reportedly suffered a catastrophic loss of engine thrust. Within seconds, the plane nose-dived into a densely populated neighborhood, setting off a chain of explosions and fires that consumed buildings, vehicles, and claimed dozens of lives on the ground.
Authorities have confirmed the deaths of all 241 passengers and crew onboard — including Ramesh’s younger brother — as well as scores of residents in the crash zone. Over 270 bodies have been recovered so far, with emergency crews continuing search-and-recovery operations amid the rubble.
The miraculous survival of Ramesh has drawn global attention and sparked speculation over how he managed to escape the wreckage. Aviation experts suggest that he may have been seated near a section of the aircraft that broke off before impact, shielding him from the full force of the explosion.
Indian aviation officials, along with international investigators, are currently examining the aircraft’s black box data to determine the exact cause of the engine failure. Meanwhile, the Indian government has declared a national day of mourning as the country reels from one of the deadliest aviation disasters in its history.
Ramesh, who is currently under medical observation, has yet to make a public statement. His family in the UK has requested privacy, mourning the loss of his brother and others who perished in the tragedy.
