Sole survivor of Air India crash Vishwash Kumar Ramesh reveals struggle months on from disaster
The sole survivor of an Air India crash has spoken about his ordeal in detail for the first time since he miraculously crawled out of plane wreckage in June moments after the accident killed 260 people.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 39, a British national, was on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner slammed into a hostel just seconds after it took off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India.
Ramesh explained he still lived with the torment and had flashbacks of the horrific aviation accident.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“God gave me life but took all my happiness ... It completely brought down my family,” he told the UK’s Telegraph from his home in Leicester, England.
Following the accident, Ramesh was filmed walking around covered in blood.
He managed to climb unhurt from seat 11A, in a section of the plane which did not explode on impact.
Ramesh went on to speak about the personal cost from the crash, which includes losing his brother.
He has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and suffers pain in his leg, knee, shoulder and back.
“I lost my brother, I’m broken,” he told the publication.
“We were all happy, enjoying [life]. My brother was my strength, he was my everything. And now? We’re broken, I don’t feel like talking to anyone.
“My mother, father and my younger brother totally broke down, like mentally. And also me, mentally, physically.
“I’m in my room, alone. I don’t like to talk too much ... Every day I’m struggling.”
Ramesh also has trouble taking his son, four, to school.
The survivor claims Air India has only offered an interim payment to him, equal to all of the victims’ relatives.
Ramesh’s advisor Radd Seiger, accused the airline of “hiding behind lawyers”.
7NEWS.com.au has reached out to Air India for comment.
The Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, offered to meet with Ramesh.
Indian authorities have said that both fuel switches had been moved to “cut off” after takeoff, which led to a loss of thrust which would have caused the plane to stall.
No final cause of the crash has been identified.
Ramesh became somewhat of an international celebrity after surviving the crash, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting him in hospital.
Originally published on 7NEWS
