Vishwash Kumar, the sole survivor of the tragic Air India aviation disaster that claimed the lives of around 270 people, broke hearts after footage of him carrying his brother’s coffin spread online—limping under the weight of both the physical and emotional pain he felt.
The 40-year-old British national and his sibling, Ajay, were both on board the UK-bound AI171 flight when it crashed into a densely populated area mere seconds after takeoff.
Kumar, his face still swollen and covered in plasters, refused the help of others, mustering the strength to carry the coffin to its destination.
Sole survivor of deadly Air India crash breaks the internet’s collective heart by carrying his brother’s casket despite his wounds
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Footage shows the coffin covered in yellow flowers, as well as pink and white fabrics. Family members, Vishwash included, were seen carrying Ajay’s casket to his funeral surrounded by mourners, many of whom offered to help the grieving brother.
But he refused.
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Only after completing his task did Vishwash allow himself to let out his emotions, breaking down in tears as he helplessly watched his dear brother’s casket being carried away in a vehicle.
The Kumar brothers departed from Ahmedabad last Thursday (June 12), and were returning home to London after visiting family members in India. Vishwash sat in 11A, right next to the plane’s door, while Ajay sat across the aisle.
Image credits: SBS News
Vishwash isn’t alone in his grief, however, as the tragedy has not only shaken India as a whole, but the entire world. The families of the 241 people on board the plane, as well as the relatives of students who perished on the ground, share in his sorrow.
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As investigators search for answers, aviation authorities are zeroing in on several critical systems, such as the engine thrust, flap positions, and landing gear behavior during takeoff.
“We’re looking at whether Air India was at fault, including on maintenance issues,” a source said.
The plane showed signs of a lack of maintenance, including failing electronics and unretractable landing gear
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Even before what would be the plane’s final flight, the aircraft’s electronics were already showing signs of severe disrepair.
“AC is not working at all. And as usual, the TV screens are not working. Not even the light is working,” said Akash Vatsa, who was also a passenger on a previous flight of the AI171.
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Passengers resorted to fanning themselves with magazines as temperatures rose, dismissing the malfunctions as routine lack of maintenance. However, to investigators, these errors revealed deeper systemic problems with the plane’s overall condition—errors that would prove fatal in Vishwash’s flight.
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A mere 33 seconds after liftoff, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal noticed several critical systems failing and issued a desperate Mayday call.
“Mayday…no thrust, losing power, unable to lift,” he said, but the plane went silent before control had the chance to respond.
The plane, which had been unable to retract its landing gear, started losing altitude rapidly. Faced with a lose-lose situation, Captain Sabharwal opted to steer the plane away from densely populated apartment buildings and into a nearby medical college hostel.
241 people on board the plane lost their lives, and about 30 more, mostly students, did so on the ground.
Upon being woken up by an emergency responder, Vishwash's first thought was of saving his brother
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Vishwash witnessed everything. The trauma of the crash was still alive in his mind as he woke up in the hospital and investigators started interviewing him for information.
“I managed to unbuckle myself. I used my leg to push through that opening and crawled out,” he told local media from his hospital bed, the shock of his harrowing experience still present in his voice.
Image credits: SBS News
He then said that he still didn’t understand how he escaped. Footage of the crash shows what appears to be the plane’s door unhinging itself from the plane moments before the crash.
Vishwash then recounted how he saw people losing their lives in front of his eyes, including the plane’s crew—and his brother, Ajay.
Moments after the crash, the plane’s fuel reacted and caused a massive explosion. Heartbreaking footage discovered after the incident showed Vishwash desperately trying to go back to the flames to save his brother.
“My family member is in there, my brother and he's burning alive. I have to save him!” he told emergency workers.
A joint task force is investigating Air India’s fleet, with a focus on possible criminal liability
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Emergency worker Satinder Singh recounted how he had to carry Vishwash away to safety.
“I walked nearer to Mr Ramesh, grabbed him by the arm and led him away to a waiting ambulance. I had no idea that he was a passenger on the plane and thought he was a resident of the hostel or a passer-by,” Singh explained.
“He was very disoriented and shocked and was limping. There was also blood on his face, but he was able to speak. He told the paramedics that he was flying to London when the plane fell and that he wanted to go back to save his family.”
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The compounding evidence has led to a full round of inspections across Air India’s Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleets. This includes pre-departure takeoff parameter checks, flight control inspections, and engine power verification.
Experts from the UK, the US, and officials from Boeing have reportedly joined the probe.
"I can't imagine the pain." Netizens sympathized with the sole survivor
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