Amid Grief and Chaos, A Survivor Searches for His Brother After Air India Crash
In the crowded general ward of Civil Hospital in Asarwa, Ahmedabad, lies 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh — bruised, dazed, and clinging to the last shreds of hope. Amid the cries of anguished families and the constant movement of medics, Vishwash, one of the few survivors of the horrific Air India crash, recounted the terrifying moments that changed his life forever.
“It all happened in seconds. Just 30 seconds after take-off, there was a deafening noise — and then the plane went down,” he said softly, wincing from the injuries that covered his chest, feet, and face. “I don’t remember the impact. I just remember waking up surrounded by bodies.”
Vishwash was aboard Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members, when it crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s airport on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft, bound for London Gatwick, burst into flames as it plunged into a residential area near Meghaninagar, turning a routine journey into a nightmare of fire and loss.
Originally from India, Vishwash has lived in London for over two decades. This trip had been a short family visit, a quick return to his roots. Now, in the cold sterility of a hospital bed, he is alone — except for a boarding pass still clutched in his hand, and a heart filled with fear for his older brother.
“My brother Ajay was with me. He’s 45. We had just visited Diu together, and we were heading back home to London,” he said, eyes welling up. “He was seated in a different row… I haven’t seen him since the crash. I don’t know where he is. Please, someone help me find him.”
It’s a desperate plea heard in every corner of the hospital. In the emergency wards and waiting areas, families have gathered, anxiously scanning the lists of admitted, unidentified, and deceased. Each moment feels like a lifetime, and the line between hope and heartbreak grows thinner.
Among them was Sailesh Mandliya, a former aide to Vijay Rupani, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, who was also reportedly on board the doomed flight. Mandliya stood in silent agony, combing through the chaos, hoping for a sign, a name, a face — anything.
The scene at Civil Hospital is a reflection of the broader tragedy — lives upended, families torn apart, and a nation struggling to process the enormity of the loss. Vishwash’s survival is a miracle, but his ordeal is far from over. In a hospital full of grieving souls, he now faces the unthinkable — searching for a brother who may never return.
“I just want to know if he’s okay,” Vishwash whispered, clutching his side. “My wife and child are waiting for us back in London. I don’t know how to tell them… I came back home to visit family, and I may have lost mine forever.”
As investigations into the crash continue and rescue teams sift through the wreckage, the human toll of this disaster becomes heartbreakingly clear — behind every name is a story, a family, and a silence that echoes louder than the flames.
