The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash, which killed 241 people on board, has said he feels like the “luckiest man” alive, but is also suffering physically and mentally.
Viswashkumar Ramesh walked away from the wreckage of the London-bound flight in Ahmedabad in extraordinary scenes that amazed the world.
He said it was a “miracle” he escaped, but told how he had lost everything, as his younger brother Ajay was a few seats away on the flight and died in the crash in June.
Since returning to his home in Leicester, Mr Ramesh has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), his advisers said, and has been unable to speak to his wife and four-year-old son.
Flames engulfed the Boeing 787 flight when it went down shortly after take-off in western India.
Shocking video shared at the time showed Mr Ramesh walking away from the aftermath with seemingly superficial injuries, as smoke billowed in the background.
Speaking to BBC News, an emotional Mr Ramesh, whose first language is Gujarati, said: “I’m only one survivor. Still, I’m not believing. It’s a miracle.
“I lost my brother as well. My brother is my backbone. The last few years, he was always supporting me.”
He described the devastating impact the ordeal has had on his family life.
“Now I’m alone. I just sit in my room alone, not talking with my wife, my son. I just like to be alone in my house,” Mr Ramesh said.
He spoke from his hospital bed in India at the time, describing how he had managed to unbuckle himself and crawl out of the wreckage, and met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while receiving treatment for his injuries.
Of the passengers and crew killed, 169 were Indian nationals and 52 were Britons, while 19 others were killed on the ground.
A preliminary report into the crash, published by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in July, said fuel supply to the engines was cut off just seconds after take-off. Meanwhile, an investigation is ongoing and the airline said care for Mr Ramesh, and all families affected by the tragedy, “remains our absolute priority”.
This is the first time the 39-year-old has spoken to the media since he has been back in the UK. A documentary crew were also filming in the room.
The BBC had detailed discussions with his advisers about his duty of care before the interview.
When asked about his memories of the day of the crash, he said: “I can’t say anything about that now.”
‘I’m suffering’
Flanked by local community leader Sanjiv Patel and spokesman Radd Seiger, Mr Ramesh said it was too painful to recall the events of the disaster, and broke down during parts of an interview at the home of Mr Patel in Leicester.
Mr Ramesh described the anguish he and his family are now living through.
“For me, after this accident… very difficult.
“Physically, mentally, also my family as well, mentally… my mum last four months, she is sitting every day outside the door, not talking, nothing.
“I’m not talking to anyone else. I do not like to talk with anyone else.
“I can’t talk about much. I’m thinking all night, I’m suffering mentally.
“Every day is painful for the whole family.”
Mr Ramesh also spoke about the physical injuries he suffered in the crash, which saw him escape his seat – 11A – through an opening in the fuselage.
He says he suffers pain in his leg, shoulder, knee and back, and has not been able to work or drive since the tragedy.
“When I walk, not walk properly, slowly, slowly, my wife helps,” he added.
Mr Ramesh was diagnosed with PTSD while he was being treated in a hospital in India, but has not received any medical treatment since being back home, his advisers said.
They described him as being lost and broken, with a long journey of recovery ahead, and are demanding a meeting with Air India’s executives, claiming he has been treated poorly by the airline since the crash.
“They’re in crisis, mentally, physically, financially,” Mr Patel said.
“It’s devastated his family.
“Whoever’s responsible at the highest level should be on the ground meeting the victims of this tragic event, and understanding their needs and to be heard.”
‘Put things right’
Air India has offered an interim compensation payment to Mr Ramesh of £21,500, which has been accepted, but his advisers say this is not enough to meet his immediate needs.
The family fishing business in Diu in India, which Mr Ramesh ran with his brother before the crash, has since collapsed, his advisers said.
Spokesman for the family, Mr Seiger, said they had invited Air India for a meeting on three occasions, and all three were either “ignored or turned down”.
The media interviews were the team’s way of reissuing that appeal for the fourth time, he said.
Mr Seiger added, “It’s appalling that we are having to sit here today and put him [Viswashkumar] through this.
“The people who should be sitting here today are the executives of Air India, the people responsible for trying to put things right.
“Please come and sit down with us so that we can work through this together to try and alleviate some of this suffering.”
In a statement, the airline, which is owned by Tata Group, said senior leaders from the parent company continue to visit families to express their deepest condolences.
“An offer has been made to Mr Ramesh’s representatives to arrange such a meeting. We will continue to reach out, and we very much hope to receive a positive response,” it said.
The airline told the BBC that this offer was made before the media interviews with Mr Ramesh.
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