Air India Crash Survivor: “I’m the Luckiest Man, But I’ve Lost My Backbone” Subheadline

The London-bound Boeing 787 erupted in flames shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, western India. Miraculously, Mr. Ramesh was captured on shocking video walking away from the smoldering wreckage with seemingly minor injuries.

However, the 39-year-old, whose first language is Gujarati, told BBC News that the emotional toll has been crushing, especially the loss of his younger brother, Ajay, who was sitting just a few seats away.

“It’s a miracle. I’m only one survivor. Still, I’m not believing,” an emotional Mr. Ramesh said from his home in Leicester. “I lost my brother as well. My brother is my backbone. Last few years, he was always supporting me.”

Since returning to the UK, Mr. Ramesh has been locked in a private battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a diagnosis he first received while hospitalized in India. His advisers, Sanjiv Patel and Radd Seiger, confirmed that the ordeal has left him emotionally isolated and unable to speak with his wife and four-year-old son.

“Now I’m alone. I just sit in my room alone, not talking with my wife, my son,” he shared. He revealed the devastating impact on his mother, who has sat daily by the door in silence for four months.

Physically, the father-of-one suffers from chronic pain in his leg, shoulder, knee, and back, injuries sustained while unbuckling and crawling out of the fuselage breach from his seat, 11A. He has been unable to work or drive since the tragedy, and the fishing business he ran with his late brother in India has collapsed.

Mr. Ramesh’s team is now fiercely demanding a meeting with Air India executives, claiming the airline has failed in its duty of care. While Air India offered an interim compensation of £21,500, his advisers argue it is nowhere near enough to cover immediate needs.

Family spokesman Radd Seiger condemned the situation: “The people who should be sitting here today are the executives of Air India… Please come and sit down with us so that we can work through this together to try and alleviate some of this suffering.”

Air India, owned by Tata Group, stated that care for all affected families remains its “absolute priority” and confirmed an offer had been made to Mr. Ramesh’s representatives to arrange a meeting before his media interviews.