In a heart-wrenching scene, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the catastrophic Air India crash, carried his brother Ajay’s coffin during a funeral in Gujarat, mourning the loss of his sibling in the tragedy. The 40-year-old British citizen from Leicester, still bearing plasters on his face and walking with a limp, joined other mourners to honor his brother, who died in the devastating incident.
The brothers were traveling together on flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick, when it crashed last week in a crowded part of Ahmedabad, India. Vishwash, seated in 11A, narrowly escaped the burning wreckage moments before it was engulfed in flames. Tragically, Ajay, seated just one seat away, was among the 240 passengers and crew killed, along with dozens more on the ground in the densely populated area.
Ajay’s coffin, adorned with vibrant flowers, was carried through the streets by Vishwash and other mourners. At one point, a fellow mourner offered to help with the coffin, but Vishwash, overcome with grief, gently refused, determined to bear the weight himself. Another mourner was seen supporting him as he struggled to walk, his injuries evident.
The flight had taken off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:17 pm local time, climbing into the sky by 1:38 pm, before the disaster struck. The crash, one of the deadliest in recent years, has left the community in shock, with tributes pouring in for the victims.
Vishwash, who had been staying with Ajay in India, now faces the unimaginable pain of returning home alone. The ceremony in Gujarat was a somber farewell, filled with raw emotion as family and friends gathered to say their final goodbyes. The image of Vishwash, injured yet resolute, carrying his brother’s coffin has become a powerful symbol of loss and resilience in the wake of the tragedy.
