Air India Crash: Sole Survivor Vishwashkumar Ramesh Leads Brother’s Funeral After Tragic Diu Disaster

Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the lone survivor of the Air India crash near Ahmedabad, carries his brother’s coffin in Diu funeral. The nation mourns as probe into the cause of the disaster continues.

Air India Crash: Sole Survivor Vishwashkumar Ramesh Leads Brother’s Funeral After Tragic Diu Disaster

In a poignant ceremony in western India, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of last week's tragic Air India crash, played a central role in the funeral of his brother, Ajay, who also perished in the disaster. A visibly distraught Ramesh, his arm and face still bandaged from his injuries, carried his brother's coffin to the cremation in Diu after spending five days recovering in the hospital.

A Community Mourns Amidst Devastation

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which crashed seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad, claimed the lives of at least 270 people, primarily passengers. Ramesh's mother, draped in a blue sari, walked alongside the coffin as he bore it on his shoulder, joining other mourners. Despite heavy rain, residents of Diu, including 14 others who lost loved ones in the crash, gathered to pay their respects.

The Unexplained Survival and Heroic Rescue

The circumstances of Ramesh's survival remain a mystery. According to a first responder, he even attempted to re-enter the burning plane to find his brother. A recently released video shows Satinder Singh Sandhu, an ambulance driver with Ahmedabad's emergency services, guiding Ramesh to safety as he emerged from the inferno. Sandhu, who initially mistook the scene for a car accident or gas blast, only later realized Ramesh was the lone survivor.

Ramesh, seated in seat 11A, reportedly had his brother nearby. Tragically, all other passengers and crew died, along with nearly 30 individuals on the ground when the plane crashed into a doctor’s hostel. Ramesh managed to escape through a hole in the wreckage.

A Brother's Desperate Search

Sandhu recounted the surreal experience of saving Ramesh, emphasizing it was part of his job, despite the horrific nature of the crash. He expressed surprise at Ramesh's immediate post-rescue behavior: "He kept trying to go back to the site... He was looking for Ajay." Ramesh’s persistent attempts to re-enter the wreckage led responders to eventually restrain him and provide medical attention.

First Responder's Account and Ramesh's Shock

Sandhu also provided aid to a security guard with burns and witnessed a woman's heart-wrenching cries for her deceased son. He later saw Ramesh emerge, disoriented and injured, in a white shirt. It wasn't until news reports confirmed Ramesh as the sole survivor that the pieces clicked for Sandhu and his team.

An ambulance team member, Chirag, mentioned Ramesh was on a video call, informing his family of his location at the crash site. After receiving initial treatment, Ramesh was transported to a local hospital. He later told DD News, "I thought I might die too, but when I opened my eyes, I was still alive. I can’t believe I made it out of there."

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, with authorities analyzing the black box recordings to determine what led to the tragic event.