In brief
Viswashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India crash, describes his mixed emotions of being 'the luckiest man alive' while grappling with the loss of his brother and the trauma of the incident. Despite walking away seemingly unscathed, he faces significant mental and physical challenges, struggling with PTSD and isolation since his return home. Mr. Ramesh's family seeks better support and compensation from Air India as they deal with the tragedy's fallout.
The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash, which killed 241 people on board, has said he feels like the 'luckiest man' alive, but is also suffering physically and mentally. Viswashkumar Ramesh walked away from the wreckage of the London-bound flight in Ahmedabad in extraordinary scenes that amazed the world. He said it was a 'miracle' he escaped, but told how he has lost everything, as his younger brother Ajay was a few seats away on the flight and died in the crash in June.Since returning to his home in Leicester, Mr Ramesh has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), his advisers said, and has been unable to speak to his wife and four-year-old son. Flames engulfed the Boeing 787 flight when it went down shortly after take-off in western India. Shocking video shared at the time showed Mr Ramesh walking away from the aftermath with seemingly superficial injuries, as smoke billowed in the background.Speaking to BBC News, an emotional Mr Ramesh, whose first language is Gujarati, said: I'm only one survivor. Still, I'm not believing. It's a miracle. I lost my brother as well. My brother is my backbone. Last few years, he was always supporting me.He described the devastating impact the ordeal has had on his family life. Now I'm alone. I just sit in my room alone, not talking with my wife, my son. I just like to be alone in my house, Mr Ramesh said. He says he suffers pain in his leg, shoulder, knee, and back, and has not been able to work or drive since the tragedy.Mr Ramesh was diagnosed with PTSD while he was being treated in hospital but has not received any medical treatment since returning home. His family is demanding a meeting with Air India's executives, claiming he has been treated poorly by the airline since the crash. While Mr Ramesh accepted an interim compensation payment from Air India, his advisors argue that it is insufficient to meet his immediate needs, as the family business has collapsed following the tragedy.The media interviews of Mr Ramesh were a way of reissuing previous requests for dialogue with airline representatives, as his family seeks accountability and support. In response, Air India stated that they remain focused on reaching out to affected families and addressing their concerns.
