Every day is painful: Sole Air India crash survivor struggles with trauma, calls compensation inadequate
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed on June 12, seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, slamming into the hostel building of BJ Medical College. Of the 242 people on board -- 230 passengers and 12 crew -- Ramesh, seated in 11A next to an emergency exit, was the only one to escape alive. His younger brother Ajaykumar was among the dead.
New Delhi: Nearly five months after the Air India flight AI-171 crash that killed 241 people on board and 19 on the ground, the lone survivor, 39-year-old Vishwashkumar (Vishwas) Ramesh, says he feels like "the luckiest man alive", but also "completely broken".
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed on June 12, seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, slamming into the hostel building of BJ Medical College. Of the 242 people on board -- 230 passengers and 12 crew -- Ramesh, seated in 11A next to an emergency exit, was the only one to escape alive. His younger brother Ajaykumar was among the dead.
"I'm the only survivor. Still, I can't believe it. It's a miracle," Ramesh told the BBC in his first interview since returning to the UK. "I lost my brother. He was my backbone. Now I'm alone. Every day is painful for my whole family."
Survivor haunted by loss
Since the tragedy, Ramesh has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical injuries. He says he cannot walk properly and relies on his wife for assistance. "When I walk, I can't walk properly, slowly, slowly my wife helps," he said.
He now spends most of his time isolated at home in Leicester, barely speaking to his wife or four-year-old son. "I just sit in my room alone, not talking to anyone. I don't like to talk. I'm suffering mentally," he said.
His mother, who lives in Diu, has been unable to recover emotionally. "For four months she just sits outside the door every day, saying nothing," Ramesh said.
'It all happened so fast'
Ramesh earlier recalled from his hospital bed in Ahmedabad how he managed to unbuckle his seatbelt and crawl out through the fuselage as flames engulfed the wreckage. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi the following day, telling him: "I don’t know how I lived. It all happened so fast."
Preliminary findings by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have mentioned that fuel supply to both engines was cut off seconds after take-off, leading to total power failure. Eyewitnesses described seeing a "fireball" as the aircraft plunged into the medical college building.
Financial strain and lack of support
The Ramesh family's fishing business in Diu, which Vishwash ran with his brother, has collapsed since the crash. His wife's Universal Credit payments were suspended when she travelled to India after the tragedy, leaving the family financially strained.
Air India, now owned by the Tata Group, has offered Ramesh an interim compensation of £21,500 (about Rs 25 lakh), which he has accepted, but his advisers call the amount "grossly inadequate".
In a statement, Air India said it remains "deeply conscious of its responsibility" towards Ramesh and other affected families. "Senior leaders from the Tata Group have met families to convey condolences. An offer to arrange a meeting with Mr Ramesh's representatives remains open, and we continue to reach out," the airline said.