The world was in shock when breaking news came in that an Air India flight had crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all 242 people on board. It was undeniably a huge tragedy for the aviation industry — a dark day that will remain in memory for years to come.
But amid tragedy, sometimes a miracle emerges — a person finds a way back from the jaws of death against all odds. Among the 242 people on that ill-fated Air India flight, 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the sole survivor. He sustained only minor injuries and managed to find his way out of the burning wreckage, beating death by a hair’s breadth.
For Vishwash and his family, the happiness of a miraculous survival was intertwined with immense sorrow, as his second brother was also on the flight and tragically perished in the incident. India fell into a state of deep mourning, reflecting on the tragedy and honoring those who were gone.
Vishwash, sitting in seat 11A — immediately next to the emergency exit — believes it was this seat that made all the difference. His story resonates profoundly with a similar incident in 1998 when a Thai passenger, Ruangsak, was the sole survivor of a Thai Air flight, also sitting in seat 11A. Ruangsak remained haunted by survivor’s guilt for years and avoided flying for nearly a decade, referring to his survival as a “second life.”
Now, years later, the seat 11A has become a symbol of hope and curiosity — a seat that has, against all odds, kept its occupants alive in disasters.
A third remarkable survivor story comes from the Pakistani flight PK 8303, which crashed just two days before Eid al-Fitr in May 2020, killing 97 people. Among the two survivors was Zafar Masud, President of the Bank of Punjab. Zafar not only lived through the tragedy but also turned his survival into a mission.
He frequently speaks about the incident and how it has deepened his appreciation for relationships and human connection. “Appreciation for relationships and connection with people has always been my hallmark, but it has now become my motto for life,” Zafar said.
The PK 8303 incident underscores the importance of following proper procedures — a key observation made in the initial inquiry — and highlights the human ability to find renewal and hope in the face of tragedy.
These stories serve as powerful reminders of human resilience — the ability to conquer unimaginable odds and appreciate the greatest gift of all: life itself. Among the ashes of tragedy, the stories of Vishwash, Ruangsak, and Zafar illuminate the path forward, honoring the past while embracing the future with hope.
