Featured Image Credit: PUNIT PARANJPE/Contributor/Getty
The only person to survive the catastrophic Air India plane crash that killed 241 people on board says he feels like the 'luckiest man alive,' but has spoken out about his ongoing physical and mental struggles.
Viswashkumar Ramesh walked away from the wreckage of the London-bound flight in Ahmedabad, India, in extraordinary scenes that stunned the world and seemed almost impossible.
While he calls his survival a 'miracle,' Ramesh has revealed he's lost everything that mattered most, including his younger brother Ajay, who was sitting just a few seats away and died in the June crash.
Flames consumed the Boeing 787 shortly after take-off in western India, creating an inferno that gave passengers virtually no chance of escape.
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169 Indian nationals and 52 Britons died aboard the aircraft, while another 19 people on the ground were killed when the plane went down.
Videos shared at the time showed the almost unbelievable sight of Ramesh walking away from the burning wreckage with what appeared to be only superficial injuries.
Since returning to his home in Leicester, England, Ramesh has been battling severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to his advisers, he's been unable to communicate with his wife and four-year-old son properly.
In an emotional interview with BBC News, Ramesh - whose first language is Gujarati - tried to articulate what he's experiencing.
"I'm only one survivor. Still, I'm not believing. It's a miracle," he explained. "I lost my brother as well. My brother is my backbone. Last few years, he was always supporting me."
Ramesh described how the trauma has shattered his family life and left him unable to function normally.
"Now I'm alone. I just sit in my room alone, not talking with my wife or my son. I just like to be alone in my house," Ramesh explained.
When asked about his memories of the day of the crash, he said: "I can't say anything about that now."
Later, Ramesh tried to convey the daily reality his family and he now face.
"For me, after this accident... very difficult," he added. "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."
Ramesh was diagnosed with PTSD while receiving hospital treatment in India immediately after the crash. However, he hasn't received any medical treatment for his mental health since returning home to the UK, his advisors reported.
Meanwhile, Air India has offered Ramesh an interim compensation payment of £21,500, which he has accepted.
