Ramesh Vishwaskumar Bucharvada, a British national, is the lone survivor of the Air India crash that killed 241 people near Ahmedabad. He escaped with minor injuries after the plane exploded mid-air moments after take-off.
Photo : PTI
On 12 June, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, departed Ahmedabad, bound for London Gatwick. Just 30 seconds after take‑off, the aircraft encountered trouble and issued a Mayday distress call. The plane climbed only about 600 – 800 ft before plunging into a dense residential zone near a medical college hostel. The ensuing impact triggered a massive fire, killing 241 people out of 242 aboard (230 passengers and 11 crew), with one lone survivor.
Air India Plane Crash: Who is Ramesh Vishwaskumar Bucharvada?
He is the only known survivor of this tragedy.
Born in India, now a British national, aged approximately 40.
- He was seated in seat 11A, a window seat directly behind an emergency exit, which is probably why he was able to survive.
- Ramesh was visiting family in Gujarat alongside his elder brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh (45), who is now presumed dead.
- Within seconds of take‑off, he heard a loud bang, then the aircraft shattered in mid-air. He awoke amid flaming debris and bodies, then, terrified, “stood up and ran.”
- He suffered chest, eye and foot injuries, but they are non‑life‑threatening.
- A shocking video shows him, bloodied and clothes torn, walking towards rescuers and an ambulance.
- From his hospital bed at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital, he recounted, “There were bodies all around me. I got scared. I got up and ran”
The investigation and aftermath
- Black box and cockpit voice recorder recovery
- Unusual technical indicators, such as landing gear extended at take‑off and flap misconfiguration noted on radar.
- Witness accounts of potential engine failure or loss of thrust.