Sole survivor Vishwaskumar Ramesh describes unbearable trauma after the June 12 Air India crash; family needs support despite interim Air India payment.
Air India Interim Compensation Offer and Family Response
Vishwaskumar Ramesh — the lone survivor of the June 12 Air India crash that killed 241 passengers and 19 people on the ground — says the physical and psychological fallout has left him unable to return to normal life. Ramesh, who was seated at 11A next to an emergency exit on flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, told Sky News that he suffers ongoing pain in his knee, shoulder and back and lives with burn injuries; he now depends on his wife for help with basic tasks, including washing.
The crash destroyed more than lives: it wiped out the couple’s fledgling fishing business, stripping the family of their main income and forcing Ramesh’s relatives to confront sudden hardship in both the UK and India. Officials say Air India has offered an interim payment of £21,500 (about ₹21.9 lakh), which Ramesh accepted, but his local supporters stress that money alone cannot address long-term needs such as rehabilitation, childcare and livelihood restoration. Community leaders are urging the airline’s senior management to meet victims’ families and outline a durable support plan.
Psychological experts and survivors’ advocates note that surviving a mass-casualty event often produces persistent post-traumatic stress, social withdrawal and fractured family dynamics — all visible in Ramesh’s account. He says he rarely leaves the house, sits alone for long stretches, and struggles to interact with his four-year-old son, Divang, showing classic signs of acute trauma that require sustained psychiatric and social services. Campaigners want tailored medical, mental-health and social assistance rather than one-off payouts.
