Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen of Indian origin, is struggling to cope with the traumatic experience of being the sole survivor of the Air India flight AI 717 crash on June 12. The flight, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, killing 241 people on board, including Vishwas’ brother, Ajay, and 19 people on the ground. Vishwas, who was seated in a portion of the plane that fell on the ground floor of a medical college hostel, managed to escape with his life.
The crash has left Vishwas with severe mental trauma, and he is currently undergoing treatment with a psychiatrist to deal with the emotional aftermath. His cousin, Sunny, reported that Vishwas is still haunted by the memories of the crash site and his brother’s death, and is having trouble sleeping. Despite the support of his family and well-wishers, Vishwas is finding it difficult to come to terms with the tragedy.
In a poignant gesture, Vishwas carried his brother’s mortal remains on his shoulders to the cremation ground in Diu on June 18. The family had received Ajay’s remains after a DNA match, and Vishwas was discharged from the hospital on the same day. The incident has also attracted the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who met Vishwas in the hospital and enquired about his well-being.
Vishwas has recounted the moments leading up to the crash, stating that the aircraft seemed to have stalled within seconds of taking off. He attributed his survival to the fact that his portion of the plane fell on the ground floor of the hostel premises, allowing him to escape through a broken door. As he begins his journey towards recovery, Vishwas is taking things slowly, and has not yet made plans to return to London. For now, his focus is on coming to terms with the tragedy and finding a way to heal.