Routine Flight Turns Tragic: Only One Brother Survives Catastrophic Air India Crash
What should have been a standard return flight from a business trip ended in unthinkable tragedy for two brothers. Only one came home alive.
Viswash Ramesh, 40, and his younger brother Ajaykumar, 35, boarded Air India Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick expecting an uneventful journey. They were seated across the aisle from one another—Ajay in seat 11J, Viswash in 11A by the emergency exit. Hours later, their lives would be forever changed.
The aircraft went down in a devastating crash, flames engulfing the cabin as chaos erupted on board. Viswash was found bloodied and barely conscious, pulled from the wreckage amid smoke and fire. His first words were not about himself—they were a plea:
“Find Ajay. You must find Ajay.”
But Ajay was never found among the survivors.
Now recovering in an Indian hospital, Viswash drifts in and out of consciousness, repeatedly calling for his brother. His face bears the marks of the horror—burns, bruises, and ash—but he is alive. A lone survivor among 242 passengers.
Back in Leicester, the Ramesh family is reeling. Their mother, Manibai, is inconsolable. The youngest brother, Nayankumar, remembers the moment they received the call that changed everything.
“He just said the plane crashed… he didn’t know where anyone was. There was blood. We couldn’t make sense of it. It didn’t feel real.”
At first, they held onto hope—maybe Ajay had been taken to a different hospital. Maybe records were wrong. His phone kept ringing. Maybe, just maybe, he’d answer.
But by Thursday night, Air India confirmed the worst: only one person survived. It was Viswash.
The news shattered the family. “We kept hoping,” Nayankumar said. “We still hoped someone would pick up his phone.”
The brothers had traveled to India together for business tied to their family’s former company, RMV Fashion, which shut down in 2022. They arrived together. They planned to return home together.
Instead, one now bears the physical and emotional scars of survival—left to carry not just his own pain, but the memory of the brother he lost.
“It’s a miracle Viswash made it,” said Nayankumar. “But we lost Ajay.”
From his hospital bed, with pain in his voice and fire still in his memory, Viswash repeats the same heart-wrenching words:
“Please, find Ajay.”
“We Don’t Know What Happened to Ajay”: Family Devastated After Air India Flight AI-171 Crash Leaves Only One Survivor
What began as a routine return from a business trip has turned into an ongoing nightmare for the Ramesh family. The crash of Air India Flight AI-171 has left only one survivor out of 242 people onboard—and a family in Leicester forever altered.
Among the grieving is Ajay Valgi, a cousin of the two brothers involved. For Valgi, the pain cuts especially deep—Ajaykumar Ramesh wasn’t just family; he was his closest friend.
“They were sitting right next to each other,” he said quietly. “But we don’t know what happened to Ajay.”
His voice broke. “We’re not doing well. We’re just… trying to breathe.”
A Flight That Never Made It Home
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad bound for London Gatwick. Minutes after takeoff, disaster struck. At 1:39 p.m. IST, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal issued a desperate distress call—“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.” It was the last transmission from the cockpit.
Just five minutes into the flight, the plane plummeted into the densely populated Meghani Nagar district, a neighborhood of more than five million. The aircraft broke apart on impact, triggering massive fires and chaos in the streets below.
Despite the scale of the devastation, emergency responders quickly located one survivor: 40-year-old Viswash Ramesh. Dazed, bloodied, and barely conscious, he could only manage one desperate sentence:
“Find Ajay. Please, find Ajay.”
What “Mayday” Meant in That Moment
The final words from the cockpit—Mayday—signaled catastrophe. Originating from the French m’aider (“help me”), the call is only used in life-or-death emergencies. Unlike lesser alerts such as “Pan-pan,” Mayday demands an immediate, full-scale response.
Captain Sabharwal’s call allowed air traffic control and rescue services to mobilize fast, though it ultimately wasn’t enough to save most of those onboard. Still, the Mayday transmission has provided investigators with crucial insights into the crash’s final seconds.
Scenes of Horror on the Ground
The aftermath was apocalyptic. Black smoke filled the skies. Burning debris covered rooftops. Part of the aircraft’s tail remained wedged into a building, a haunting reminder of the impact’s violence.
Firefighters battled blazing fuel tanks and tried to protect nearby homes, while search crews carefully recovered victims from the rubble—many too damaged to identify.
“We Just Kept Hoping”
In Leicester, the Ramesh home has become a place of sorrow. Ajaykumar’s mother, Manibai, is inconsolable, her sobs echoing through the house. His phone continues to ring, unanswered—a symbol of the family’s fading hope.
Younger brother Nayankumar recalled the moment the call came from Viswash’s hospital bed.
“He said the plane had crashed… but he couldn’t find Ajay. There was blood on his face. It felt like a bad dream.”
Even as confirmation came from Air India that only one survived, the family clung to the possibility of a mistake.
“We kept thinking maybe Ajay was taken to another hospital,” Nayankumar said. “We’re still confused. Still hoping.”
More Than Brothers—Business Partners, Best Friends
Viswash and Ajay had traveled to India on a business trip connected to RMV Fashion, the family’s former textile company, which closed in 2022. They planned everything together—flights, meetings, the return. They boarded the same plane. They were meant to come home together.
But only one did.
Moving Through Grief, One Day at a Time
Now, as investigators piece together what caused the crash, the Ramesh family faces their own painful questions—ones that may never have answers.
“It’s a miracle Viswash survived,” said cousin Valgi. “But it’s a miracle wrapped in tragedy.”
From his hospital bed, Viswash continues to ask the same heartbreaking question—one his family hears in their minds every hour:
“Please, find Ajay.”
For the Ramesh family, the flight has ended. But their grief, their unanswered questions, and their memories of Ajay have only just begun.
Global Outpouring of Grief as Air India Crash Claims Lives in the Air and on the Ground
As the world reels from the catastrophic crash of Air India Flight AI-171, international leaders, medical associations, and emergency responders are grappling with the scale of devastation—both onboard the ill-fated flight and on the ground in Ahmedabad.
World Leaders Offer Condolences
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the tragedy with a solemn message, describing the scene as “devastating” and expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, including those from the UK.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “heartbreaking beyond words,” pledging full national support to all those affected and mobilizing government resources for both immediate relief and long-term recovery.
Tragedy on the Ground
While the crash claimed the lives of nearly all 242 passengers and crew, the toll extended beyond the aircraft itself. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner plummeted into the campus of a medical college, striking the dining hall of a student dormitory.
Divyansh Singh, Vice President of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), confirmed that at least five medical students were killed in the impact. Over 50 others were injured, many of them critically. With rubble still being cleared, authorities fear more victims remain trapped beneath the wreckage.
“It’s a tragedy of unimaginable scale,” Singh said. “We’ve lost students, future doctors, in the prime of their lives.”
Emergency Response Mobilized
The Indian Army was deployed within hours of the crash, joining forces with local emergency services to coordinate rescue and recovery. Soldiers worked tirelessly alongside firefighters and medics, navigating twisted debris, providing emergency care, and searching for signs of life.
Their presence brought some order to the chaos, with survivors being rushed to nearby hospitals and emergency shelters established for displaced residents and families of the victims.
Air India Responds
In a public address, Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran expressed deep sorrow and reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to supporting those affected.
“Our priority is the well-being of everyone touched by this disaster,” Chandrasekaran said. “We have activated crisis centers to ensure that families receive the support, information, and assistance they need during this unimaginable time.”
He added that the airline is cooperating fully with investigators and aviation authorities as they seek to determine the cause of the crash.
A Nation—and the World—in Mourning
As the investigation continues and more victims are identified, grief ripples across borders. Families in India, the United Kingdom, and beyond now face the painful reality of loss and uncertainty.
What was meant to be a routine international flight has turned into one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent memory—one that has left a scar not only in the skies but on the streets and hearts of many.
The crash of Flight AI-171 is no longer just a news story. It’s a global tragedy—one felt in classrooms, across dinner tables, and in the silent ringing of unanswered phones.
