SOLE SURVIVOR OF AIR INDIA CRASH CARRIES BROTHER’S COFFIN IN TEARFUL FUNERAL

In a heart-wrenching scene in the coastal Indian town of Diu, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of last Thursday’s catastrophic Air India crash, carried the coffin of his brother Ajay, one of 271 confirmed dead. Bandaged and visibly grieving, Ramesh shouldered the burden not just of family loss but of extraordinary survival.
The Dreamliner crash—Air India Flight 171—has been called the worst air disaster involving a modern, scheduled aircraft in years. The Boeing 787 plunged into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff. All 241 people onboard and 30 on the ground were killed. The only exception was Ramesh, who escaped through a hole near his seat and staggered into the hands of rescuers.
Preliminary findings indicate that a critical emergency component known as the ram air turbine (RAT)—which supplies emergency power—was deployed, suggesting a catastrophic failure of the plane’s main engines. A distress call from the cockpit moments before the crash reported “Thrust not achieved … falling … Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”
The investigation is expected to take months or years, but questions are already mounting over the aircraft’s airworthiness and Air India’s maintenance practices. While the company insists the plane had no recent technical concerns, 66 Dreamliner flights have since been canceled, with 13 aircraft grounded for extended checks.
The tragedy casts a long shadow over the Tata Group’s ambitious plans to revive Air India. It also reignites scrutiny over Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which, despite its celebrated fuel efficiency, has faced criticism for persistent quality control lapses.