‘He Doesn’t Talk, Wakes Up At Midnight’: Air India Plane Crash Survivor Vishwas Kumar Struggles to Overcome Trauma

New Delhi: It has been nearly a month since June 12, the day the world watched in shock as an Air India Boeing 787-8, bound for London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. 

The crash killed 241 passengers and crew members, including Vishwas Kumar Ramesh’s brother, Ajay, along with 34 others on the ground.

However, for Vishwas, the nightmare refuses to fade. As the sole survivor of the disaster, he has become a symbol of both miraculous survival and immeasurable loss. 

But his battle has only just begun, one of surviving not only the wreckage of the crash but also the haunting memories that continue to torment him.

‘He Walks Alone, Struggling in Silence’

Vishwas, an Indian-origin British citizen, miraculously walked out of the crash that consumed the aircraft. 

His escape from the burning wreckage remains a moment that defies belief. But the trauma of that day, coupled with the heartbreaking loss of his beloved brother, has left him emotionally shattered.

His cousin, Sunny, shared the depths of his struggle with news agency PTI. "Many people, including relatives abroad, reach out to inquire about Vishwas's well-being," he said. 

"But he doesn't talk to anyone. He is yet to overcome the mental trauma of the crash and the death of his brother."

"He wakes up in the middle of the night, trembling, unable to fall asleep again. It’s as if the terror of the crash haunts him in his sleep,” he added. 

The Air India Plane Crash 

The Ahmedabad-London Air India crash, which claimed the lives of 241 people onboard and 34 on the ground, was one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters. 

The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 (AI 171), was carrying 232 passengers—169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian as well as 10 crew members.