On the evening of June 12, 2025, the skies over Ahmedabad, India, were filled with smoke and ash after Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people, crashed. The plane, bound for London Gatwick, went down just 30 seconds after takeoff. Two hundred and four people died, including Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen who was sitting in seat 11A. His testimony, filled with harrowing details, shocked the world and offers a glimpse into the chaos of those three terrifying seconds that defined the tragedy.

Ramesh, a businessman from Leicester who was travelling with his brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh, recounted the moments leading up to the crash from his bedside at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. He described what he called a “subhuman” sound — a deep, unnatural rumble that echoed through the fuselage seconds after takeoff. The plane’s lights began flashing green and white, and within five to 10 seconds, the aircraft appeared to be “stuck in midair.” Then came the impact: the plane crashed into a university building and exploded in a ball of fire that engulfed everything in its path.

Ramesh’s story is as extraordinary as it is disturbing. Sitting next to an emergency exit, he managed to unbuckle his seatbelt and escape through a gap in the fuselage. As he crawled through the wreckage, his left hand burned and his body covered in blood, he saw dead bodies all around him. “I was scared. I jumped up and ran,” he told the Hindustan Times. Due to a combination of factors that experts still cannot fully explain, the part of the plane he was carrying landed close to the ground without directly hitting the building. This gave him a chance of survival that no one else had.

The tragedy claimed not only the lives of passengers and crew, but also at least 27 people on the ground, most of them medical students who were in the cafeteria of a dormitory that was hit by the fuselage. Verified video footage shows the moment of the crash: the plane plunged uncontrollably, nose up, before disappearing in a burst of fire and smoke. Indian authorities have recovered more than 200 bodies, but the exact death toll continues to rise as devastation in the residential area of ​​Meghaninagar continues.

Aviation experts like Anita Mendiratta point out that takeoff accidents are extremely rare and can be caused by the simultaneous failure of both engines — an event they describe as “virtually impossible.” However, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal reported a complete loss of power just 11 seconds after takeoff, shouting, “Mayday… no thrust, loss of power.” The black box, which is still being examined, may shed light on the cause, but preliminary theories point to mechanical problems or incorrect flap settings.

Ramesh’s story has captured the world’s attention, not only for his miraculous survival, but also for the details that defy logic. How could a man escape an inferno of metal and fire without sustaining serious injuries? What caused the “inhuman” sound that signaled the beginning of the disaster? As authorities in India and the United Kingdom investigate, the world continues to be moved by the stories of the victims — like the Joshi family, who dreamed of a new life in London, or the medical students whose dreams were abruptly shattered.

The image of Ramesh hobbling to the ambulance, his white T-shirt stained with blood, has become a symbol of resilience. His story, shared widely on social media, inspires us to reflect on the fragility of life and the power of miracles in the midst of tragedy. As the investigation continues, one thing is certain: Flight AI171 and the testimony of its sole survivor will remain in the collective memory, reminding us of how unpredictable fate can be.