What began as a routine return from a business trip turned into a nightmare in the sky. Amid the chaos and flames, one man survived — his first words were a desperate plea for the brother he could no longer see.
Ajaykumar Ramesh, 35, and his brother Viswash, 40, had just finished their business trip in India and had plans to return to the UK. They boarded Air India’s Ahmedabad-to-Gatwick flight On Thursday, unaware of the tragedy that lay ahead. They took their seats with Ajay settling in 11J and Viswash across the aisle in 11A, near the emergency exit.
Then came the crash.
Viswash Ramesh on a hospital bed from a video posted on June 13, 2025 | Source: YouTube/SkyNewsAustralia
Viswash, seated in 11A near the emergency exit, lived through what investigators now call a catastrophic crash. His brother Ajay, just across the aisle in seat 11J, did not as flames consumed the cabin. Viswash, bloodied and disoriented, was pulled from the wreckage.
Now in an Indian hospital, Viswash keeps repeating one haunting plea: “Find Ajay, you must find Ajay.”
Vishwash Kumar Ramash the sole survivor of the doomed Indian flight seen walking away from the crash from a video posted on June 13, 2025 | Source: YouTube/SkyNewsAustralia
Back in Leicester, their family is caught between disbelief and grief. Their mother, too distraught to speak, remains surrounded by relatives offering comfort. Their youngest brother, Nayankumar, described the surreal moment they received the call.
“It’s a miracle at least one of them survived,” he stated. “He said his plane had crashed and he couldn’t find anyone. We couldn’t believe it. There was blood running down his face.”
Photos taken in the Indian hospital show Viswash’s injuries. Nayankumar said the family is preparing to fly out, desperate for answers. He added that Ajay’s phone still rings, but no one picks up.
Air India confirmed the grim reality late Thursday night: of the 242 people aboard flight AI171, only one survived. That sole survivor was Viswash. Ajaykumar was not among them.
For hours, the family clung to hope. They believed Ajay might have been rushed to a different hospital, his name missed in the confusion.
Following the Air India tragedy, Nayankumar addresses the press about his surviving and lost brothers from a video posted on June 13, 2025 | Source: YouTube/SkyNewsAustralia
Nayankumar had said earlier that they were “so confused” but still hoped his brother had somehow made it out alive. When asked how the family was coping with the ordeal — one brother surviving while another was lost — Nayankumar motioned to their mother, Manibai Ramesh. She was too overwhelmed to speak, her sobs filling the silence.
“That’s your answer,” he said. “We’re just baffled, baffled.” Despite the heartbreak, he acknowledged the cruel duality of the moment: “It’s a miracle at least one of them survived.”
Nayankumar talks to reporters after one brother survived and another perished in the Air India crash from a video posted on June 13, 2025 | Source: YouTube/SkyNewsAustralia
Ajaykumar and Viswash had traveled to India on business tied to their family’s ventures. Viswash had previously served as director of RMV Fashion, a Leicester-based textile company that closed in 2022.
The first signs of life came when Viswash called home. He told relatives he had fled the burning aircraft and was safe, though injured. The call brought a wave of relief — but also deepened the fear for Ajay, who never got in touch.
Their cousin, Ajay Valgi, also from Leicester, shared his anguish. He described Ajaykumar not just as a cousin, but as one of his closest friends. “They were sitting next to each other,” he said. “But we don’t know what happened to Ajay.” The family is still reeling. “We’re not doing well,” he added. “We’re all upset.”
