'Very painful, I'm broken': Sole survivor of Air India plane crash appeals for welfare package to cope with trauma

London: Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the June 12 Air India plane crash, on Monday appealed for a welfare package for day-to-day support as he continues to struggle with the physical and mental trauma of the tragedy.  

The 40-year-old British citizen of Indian heritage returned home to Leicester, in the East Midlands region of England, over a month ago, but has reportedly struggled to access the level of medical attention he requires for his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The father of a four-year-old boy who relies on his wife to get around the house spends most days in his room, consumed by the tragedy that claimed the life of his brother, Ajay, among the 242 on-board fatalities of AI171.

“It is very painful... I am broken,” Vishwas Kumar Ramesh told reporters recently, during an interaction organised by Leicester community groups to highlight his plight.  

Air India said it remains “deeply conscious” of its responsibility towards Vishwas Kumar Ramesh and has been supporting the family through the “unimaginable period”, with over 95 per cent of those impacted by the tragedy now having received interim payments pending the conclusion of the crash investigation.

Radd Seiger, a UK-based retired lawyer who volunteers as a crisis management adviser, has taken charge as Ramesh’s spokesperson and appealed to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson to meet with the family to be able to fully assess and address the gravity of the situation.   “This has had a devastating effect on the entire family, both in the UK and in India, and we are issuing a direct appeal to the Chief Executive Officer, Campbell Wilson, to come and see that for himself and then to work with us to help Vishwas Kumar,” Seiger told PTI.   “He needs a lot of help. His injuries are significant, both physical and psychological. The family also ran a fishing business in Diu which has collapsed after the crash in June, so they are suffering financially as well.

"We need Air India to step forward and to help us put a welfare package together for Vishwas Kumar and his family," he said.   Seiger, who will be travelling to Diu next week to gather further information, said the 21,500-pound flat interim compensation from the airline is not enough to meet the pressing daily needs of the family.   “At the moment, the reality is Vishwas Kumar is sitting alone in his bedroom, clearly suffering, day in, day out, and it's urgent that they come and meet with us to really begin to help him,” he said.   “We must all understand that what he went through that day, on the 12th of June, no other human being on this planet has ever had that experience.

"This was a modern airliner that crashed. Everybody perished apart from him. This has never happened before, so it's impossible for any of us to understand what he is going through psychologically. He is going to need very specialist support, certainly from a psychological point of view," he said.   The family spokesperson added that the UK’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS) is unable to support the British citizen with the level of bespoke support required.  "Care for him – and indeed all families affected by the tragedy – remain our absolute priority," Air India said in a statement. 

“Senior leaders from across Tata Group continue to visit families to express their deepest condolences. An offer has been made to Mr Ramesh’s representatives to arrange such a meeting, we will continue to reach out and we very much hope to receive a positive response.  “We are keenly aware this continues to be an incredibly difficult time for all affected and continue to offer the support, compassion, and care we can in the circumstances,” the statement added.  Vishwas Kumar Ramesh was seated in seat 11A when the London Gatwick airport-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad soon after take-off.

It caused the death of all other passengers and crew on board, as well as 19 on-ground fatalities after hitting the hostel block of the city's B.J. Medical College.  A preliminary report into the crash published by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in July found that fuel supply to the engines was cut off just seconds after take-off.