Latest news with #AjayRamesh
Times of Oman
4 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Demand for 'miracle' 11A seat in the flights
MUSCAT: In the wake of the devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday that claimed 271 lives — 241 on board and 30 in a medical hostel — stories of one man's improbable survival have captured global attention. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen of Indian origin, who was seated in 11A on Air India Flight AI171, emerged as the sole survivor of the disaster. Now, in a wave of emotional response, travellers are increasingly choosing seat 11A when booking flights — not because it offers more legroom or a better view, but because it has come to represent something far more powerful: hope. Rohit Kumar, a Muscat-based marketing professional, is one of them. He is scheduled to fly from Muscat to Kolkata on June 16 and has already locked in his seat of choice. Speaking to Times of Oman, Kumar said: 'I paid extra for seat 11A for my upcoming trip to my hometown. After watching the miracle in the Air India crash, I got a feeling that whenever I travel, I will book 11A. I am not sure if there is any science behind it, but what I saw on TV after that horror crash — I think I've made up my mind.' The sole survivor in the Ahmedabad crash, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was seated in seat 11A, near an emergency exit, and miraculously escaped through the emergency door shortly after the aircraft crashed into a medical hostel soon after takeoff. Shocked and injured, Ramesh, who is now recovering in a hospital was traveling with his brother Ajay (now declared dead), was able to unbuckle himself, push through the opening, and crawl away to safety. He later recounted witnessing bodies around him as he fled the wreckage. Vimla, a homemaker based in Muscat, is planning her annual visit to India in July. She too has made a special request to her husband to secure seat 11A. ENDS In her comments to Times of Oman, she said: 'I've told my husband to ask the travel agent to book 11A. I know these things don't always make sense logically, but what we saw on TV — the way that one passenger emerged alive — gives us hope that miracles do happen.' She added: 'Even though seat layouts change from flight to flight, I just want to book 11A. It symbolises something positive in an otherwise dark event.' Surge in seat requests Airline staff and travel agents have noted a modest but noticeable increase in passengers specifically requesting 11A, a seat that was previously seen as just another window option in the forward economy cabin. On travel forums and social media, screenshots of boarding passes marked '11A' are being shared with captions like 'miracle seat' or 'chosen one.' For some, it's a show of faith; for others, its part tribute, and part talisman. Despite the wave of emotional attachment to 11A, aviation experts and safety professionals are cautioning against placing too much belief in the idea of a 'safe seat.' 'There is no hard and fast rule that any particular seat — including 11A — offers greater safety in the event of a crash,' said a retired commercial pilot on a social media platform. Indeed, historical crash data shows no consistent pattern in terms of seat-based survivability. While some studies suggest rear seats may offer slightly higher survival rates in certain crash scenarios, experts stress that no conclusions should be generalised. Behavioural psychologists believe the fixation on seat 11A stems from a human tendency to seek control and meaning in the face of disaster. 'People want something to hold on to — a symbol, a ritual, a belief — especially when logic and reason can't explain how one person survived and so many others didn't,' said Dr. Priti, a psychologist based in New Delhi, India 'For some, choosing 11A is not about superstition; it's about emotional comfort,' she added.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- General
- RNZ News
Just one man survived the Air India crash. What's it like to survive a mass disaster?
By By Erin Smith of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor of the Air India flight 171 crash. Photo: Narendra Modi / YouTube / AFP Viswashkumar Ramesh, a British citizen returning from a trip to India, has been confirmed as the only survivor of Thursday's deadly Air India crash. "I don't know how I am alive," Ramesh told family, according to brother Nayan, in a video call moments after emerging from the wreckage. Another brother, Ajay, seated elsewhere on the plane, was killed. Given the horror of the Air India plane crash, the story of British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh from Leicester, sitting in seat 11a, being sole survivor & walking away with just a few scratches, is truly astonishing. Truly a miracle. #planecrash #PlaneCrashIndia The Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college less than a minute after taking off in the city of Ahmedabad, killing the other 229 passengers and 12 crew. At least five people were killed on the ground. Surviving a mass disaster of this kind may be hailed as a kind of "miracle",but what is it like to survive, especially as the only one? Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad. Photo: AFP / Diptendu Dutta Past research has shown that disaster survivors may experience an intense range of emotions, from grief and anxiety to feelings of loss and uncertainty. These are common reactions to an extraordinary situation. People light candles as they take part in a Siliguri prayer ceremony for the airplane crash victims. Photo: Handout / CENTRAL INDUSTRIAL SECURITY FORCE (CISF) / AFP Some people may develop post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) and have difficulty adjusting to a new reality, after bearing witness to immense loss. They may also be dealing with physical recovery from injuries sustained in the disaster. Most people recover after disasters by drawing on their own strengths and the support of others. Recovery rates are high: Generally, less than one in 10 of those affected by disasters develop chronic, long-term problems, but being a sole survivor of a mass casualty event may have its own complex psychological challenges. Survivors can experience guilt they lived, when others died. My friend, Gill Hicks, spoke to me for this article about the ongoing guilt she still feels, years after surviving the 2005 bombings of the London Underground. Lying trapped in a smoke-filled train carriage, she was the last living person to be rescued after the attack. Gill lost both her legs, yet she still wonders, "Why me? Why did I get to go home when so many others didn't?". Dr Gill Hicks lost both legs in the 2005 London Underground bombings. Photo: supplied In the case of a sole survivor, this guilt may be particularly acute, but research addressing the impact of sole survivorship is limited. Most research that looks at the psychological impact of disasters focuses on the impact of disasters more broadly. Those interviewed for a 2013 documentary about surviving large plane crashes, Sole Survivor , express complex feelings - wanting to share their stories, but fearing being judged by others. Being the lone survivor can be a heavy burden. "I didn't think I was worthy of the gift of being alive," George Lamson Jr told the documentary , after surviving a 1985 plane crash in Nevada that killed all others on board. People who survive a disaster may also be under pressure to explain what happened and relive the trauma for the benefit of others. Vishwashkumar Ramesh was filmed and interviewed by the media in the minutes and hours following the Air India crash, but as he told his brother, "I have no idea how I exited the plane". India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Photo: Narendra Modi / YouTube / AFP It can be common for survivors themselves to be plagued by unanswerable questions. Did they live for a reason? Why did they live when so many others died? These kinds of unaswerable questions reflect our natural inclination to look for meaning in experiences, and to have our life stories make sense. For some people, sharing a traumatic experience with others who've been through it or something similar can be a beneficial part of the recovery process, helping to process emotions and regain some agency and control. However, this may not always be possible for sole survivors, potentially compounding feelings of guilt and isolation. Survivor's guilt can be an expression of grief and loss. Studies indicate guilt is notably widespread among individuals who have experienced traumatic events, and it is associated with heightened psychopathological symptoms (such as severe anxiety, insomnia or flashbacks) and thoughts of suicide. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Photo: @ASHLOVETEA via AFP Taking time to process the traumatic event can help survivors cope, and seeking support from friends, family and community, or faith leaders can help an individual work through difficult feelings. My friend Gill said the anxiety rises, as the anniversary of the disaster approaches each year. Trauma reminders, such as anniversaries, are different to unexpected trauma triggers, but can still cause distress. Media attention around collectively experienced dates can also amplify trauma-related distress, contributing to a cycle of media consumption and increased worry about future events. On 7 July each year, Gill holds a private remembrance ritual. This allows her to express her grief and sense of loss, and to honour those who did not survive. These types of can be a valuable tool in processing feelings of grief and guilt, offering a sense of control and meaning, and facilitating the expression and acceptance of loss. Lingering guilt and anxiety - especially when it interferes with day-to-day life - should not be ignored. Ongoing survivor's guilt is associated with significantly higher levels of post-traumatic symptoms . Survivors may need support from psychologists or mental health professionals in the short and long term. - Erin Smith is associate professor and discipline lead (paramedicine) at La Trobe University This story originally appeared on The Conversation.
The National
13 hours ago
- Health
- The National
Doctor treating Air India crash survivor tells of patient's miracle escape
A doctor treating the sole survivor of Thursday's Air India plane crash said he is recovering well after walking away from the deadly disaster with only bruises and burns. British citizen Vishwashkumar Ramesh is believed to have been thrown clear of the aircraft before it was engulfed in flames in Ahmedabad, western India. But he has told doctors he still cannot understand how he emerged from the scene of devastation. He was the only one of 242 passengers – which included his older brother Ajay – to survive when the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off. Dr Rajnish Patel, head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, told The National that Mr Ramesh is in a stable condition and will be kept under observation for a few days. He spoke of the mental trauma facing the patient, as he grapples with the loss of his brother and the enormity of the ordeal he came through. 'He is recovering well. He has some bruises on the left side of his face and burns on the left shoulder but otherwise he is stable,' said Dr Patel. 'He was limping but he has no bone injuries.' Mr Ramesh, from Leicester, central England, was seated in 11A near the emergency exit of the aircraft, according to information pieced together by medics, police and volunteers who helped get him to safety. Post-traumatic amnesia He told doctors he still had his seat belt on and appears to have been thrown out of the Air India plane bound for London's Gatwick Airport. 'He said at one point he was in his seat, the second moment the plane fell, then he was unconscious and when he recovered he was outside,' Dr Patel said. 'He does not have a clear idea of how he got out. But he does remember he was still in his seat and that when the plane crashed he was outside the plane in his seat with the seat belt still on. 'He said he took out the seat belt and walked away. He walked a very short distance and then there was a blast.' The doctor said it was natural for patients battling trauma to blank terrifying memories. 'He said he was surrounded by dead bodies,' Dr Patel said. 'It's a case of severe post-traumatic amnesia so his story may change. This is common for people who have suffered such a massive trauma. After some time he may recollect everything.' Mr Ramesh and his brother Ajay were travelling home to their family in Leicester. 'He does know that his brother who was seated behind did not survive, he knows he is the only survivor,' Dr Patel said. 'We tell him, 'you are stable, it's a miracle, you are lucky' and he accepts this. But yes, this will leave a deep impact.' Mr Ramesh will be discharged in a few days, after he is cleared by doctors and legal formalities are completed. His family in Gujarat arrived at the hospital soon after the news broke. Investigation begins Mobile phone footage taken by witnesses at the accident site shows Mr Ramesh walking unsteadily as people ask him about other passengers. He replies in Hindi: 'They are all inside.' Mr Ramesh has described the devastating scene to Indian media. 'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital,' he told The Hindustan Times newspaper. Doctors at the hospital also treated medical students from the state-run BJ Medical College hostel that the plane crashed into. Video footage showed the plane taxiing off the runway, gaining height before quickly dropping, flying low and then hitting the ground in a residential neighbourhood before bursting into flames. Air India said of the 242 people on board Flight 171, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew, there were 169 passengers from India, 53 from Britain, seven from Portugal and one from Canada. Air India owner Tata Sons said 'no words can adequately express the grief'. It has pledged to pay one crore rupees ($133,600) to the family of each person who died. Boeing has said it is ready to support the investigation led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the probe would be in line with international protocols set up by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
ABC News
19 hours ago
- General
- ABC News
Just one man survived the Air India crash. What's it like to survive a mass disaster?
Viswashkumar Ramesh, a British citizen returning from a trip to India, has been confirmed as the only survivor of Thursday's deadly Air India crash. "I don't know how I am alive," Ramesh told family, according to his brother Nayan, in a video call moments after emerging from the wreckage. Another brother Ajay, seated elsewhere on the plane, was killed. The Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college less than a minute after taking off in the city of Ahmedabad, killing the other 229 passengers and 12 crew. Several more people were killed on the ground. Surviving a mass disaster of this kind may be hailed as a kind of "miracle". But what is it like to survive — especially as the only one? Past research has shown disaster survivors may experience an intense range of emotions, from grief and anxiety to feelings of loss and uncertainty. These are common reactions to an extraordinary situation. Some people may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and have difficulty adjusting to a new reality after bearing witness to immense loss. They may also be dealing with physical recovery from injuries sustained in the disaster. Most people recover after disasters by drawing on their own strengths and the support of others. Recovery rates are high: generally less than one in ten of those affected by disasters develop chronic, long-term problems. However, being a sole survivor of a mass casualty may have its own complex psychological challenges. Survivors can experience guilt they lived when others died. My friend, Gill Hicks, spoke to me for this article about the ongoing guilt she still feels, years after surviving the 2005 bombings of the London underground. Lying trapped in a smoke-filled train carriage, she was the last living person to be rescued after the attack. Gill lost both her legs. Yet she still wonders, "Why me? Why did I get to go home, when so many others didn't?" In the case of a sole survivor, this guilt may be particularly acute. However, research addressing the impact of sole survivorship is limited. Most research that looks at the psychological impact of disaster focuses on the impact of disasters more broadly. Those interviewed for a 2013 documentary about surviving large plane crashes, Sole Survivor, express complex feelings — wanting to share their stories, but fearing being judged by others. Being the lone survivor can be a heavy burden. "I didn't think I was worthy of the gift of being alive," George Lamson Jr told the documentary, after surviving a 1985 plane crash in Nevada that killed all others on board. People who survive a disaster may also be under pressure to explain what happened and relive the trauma for the benefit of others. Viswashkumar Ramesh was filmed and interviewed by media in the minutes and hours following the Air India crash. But as he told his brother: "I have no idea how I exited the plane." It can be common for survivors themselves to be plagued by unanswerable questions. Did they live for a reason? Why did they live, when so many others died? These kinds of unanswerable questions reflect our natural inclination to look for meaning in experiences, and to have our life stories make sense. For some people, sharing a traumatic experience with others who've been through it or something similar can be a beneficial part of the recovery process, helping to process emotions and regain some agency and control. However, this may not always be possible for sole survivors, potentially compounding feelings of guilt and isolation. Survivor guilt can be an expression of grief and loss. Studies indicate guilt is notably widespread among individuals who have experienced traumatic events, and it is associated with heightened psychopathological symptoms (such as severe anxiety, insomnia or flashbacks) and thoughts of suicide. Taking time to process the traumatic event can help survivors cope, and seeking support from friends, family and community or faith leaders can help an individual work through difficult feelings. My friend Gill says the anxiety rises as the anniversary of the disaster approaches each year. Trauma reminders such as anniversaries are different to unexpected trauma triggers, but can still cause distress. Media attention around collectively experienced dates can also amplify trauma-related distress, contributing to a cycle of media consumption and increased worry about future events. On July 7 each year, Gill holds a private remembrance ritual. This allows her to express her grief and sense of loss, and to honour those who did not survive. These types of rituals can be a valuable tool in processing feelings of grief and guilt, offering a sense of control and meaning and facilitating the expression and acceptance of loss. But lingering guilt and anxiety — especially when it interferes with day-to-day life — should not be ignored. Ongoing survivor guilt is associated with significantly higher levels of post-traumatic symptoms. Survivors may need support from psychologists or mental health professionals in the short and long term. Erin Smith is an associate professor and discipline lead (Paramedicine) at La Trobe University. This piece first appeared on The Conversation.
SBS Australia
20 hours ago
- General
- SBS Australia
'I thought I was going to die': Air India crash survivor recounts escape as black box recovered
The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash that killed more than 240 people says he hardly believed he was alive, as he recounted seeing others dying near him as he escaped out of a broken emergency exit. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who police said was in seat 11A near the emergency exit and managed to squeeze through the broken hatch, was filmed after Thursday's crash limping on the street in a blood-stained T-shirt with bruises on his face. That social media footage of Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, has been broadcast across India's news channels since the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner erupted in a ball of fire after it plummeted onto a medical college hostel moments after taking off from Ahmedabad. It was the worst aviation disaster in a decade and his escape is being hailed as the "miracle of seat 11A". "I don't believe how I survived. For some time I thought I was also going to die," the 40-year-old told Indian state broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed on Friday local time. "But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could. It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others (died)." He was travelling with his brother Ajay, who had been seated in a different row, members of his family have said. "The side of the plane I was in landed on the ground, and I could see that there was space outside the aircraft, so when my door broke I tried to escape through it and I did," Ramesh said. "The opposite side of the aircraft was blocked by the building wall so nobody could have come out of there." Ramesh suffered burns and bruises and has been kept under observation, an official at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad said. Police said some people at the hostel and others on the ground were also killed in the crash. Ramesh said the plane seemed to come to a standstill in midair for a few seconds shortly after take-off and the green and white cabin lights were turned on. He said he could feel the engine thrust increasing, but then the plane "crashed with speed into the hostel". Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in his home state of Gujarat to visit the crash site, met Ramesh in hospital on Friday. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said on Friday it has recovered the digital flight data recorder, or the black box, of an Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad from a rooftop near the crash site. It said the bureau has begun its work with "full force". The black box recovery marks an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post. Separately, the country's civil aviation regulator issued an order directing Air India to do additional maintenance and enhanced safety inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines. The key inspections include fuel parameters, cabin air compressor, engine control system, hydraulic system and a review of take-off parameters, according to the order.
