The single survivor of the Air India plane crash was sitting in the same seat as a Thai singer who lived through his own devastating aircraft event almost three decades earlier.
On June 12, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick crashed just moments after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew onboard.
Flight AI171, manned by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and his co-pilot Clive Kundar, lifted to a height of around 625 feet after its take-off at 13:39 local time.
However, it quickly dropped and crashed into buildings.
Authorities have since confirmed eight local people on the ground have been killed in the tragic accident, including four medical students.
The aircraft, which was set to land in the UK capital at 18:25 BST, was caught on video exploding, with a plume of smoke visibly rising from the crashed aircraft.
Police have confirmed 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, from Leicester, England, was the only person to survive the Air India jet’s crash and that the Brit was sat in seat 11a.
Following the devastating event, Ruangsak Loychusak, 47, has come forward – revealing he is also a plane crash survivor who once sat in seat 11A.
The Thai singer and actor, who has appeared on The Mask Singer and in various TV shows and films, was onboard Thai Airways International Flight 261, which stalled and crashed into a swamp during a landing attempt in December 1998.
Ruangsak Loychusak is also a plane crash survivor, with his tragic event taking place in 1998 (VIRAL PRESS)
The accident is considered the second-deadliest plane crash in Thailand, causing 101 fatalities. At the time, it was carrying 132 passengers and 14 crew members.
Loychusak, who was one of the 45 survivors, has recently spoken to the press about hearing that Ramesh was sitting in the same seat as him.
“The lone survivor of the plane crash in India was sitting in the same seat number as me, 11A,” he began.
“I want to offer my condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the tragedy.”
For a decade, Loychusak admitted he found flying ‘difficult’ and that he ‘struggled breathing’ even if the air circulation onboard was deemed ‘normal’.
“I avoided speaking to anyone and always stared outside the window, blocking anyone from closing it to maintain my sense of safety,” the star recounted.
“If I saw dark clouds or a rainstorm outside, I would feel terrible, like I was in hell.
“I can still remember the sounds, smells, and even the taste of the water in the swamp the plane crashed into. For a long time, I would keep the feelings to myself.”
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The airplane crash had an effect on the singer for a decade (VIRAL PRESS)
Ramesh has spoken at length about his experience onboard the crashed Air India flight, recalling from his hospital bed in Asarwa, Ahmedabad, how he managed to escape the wreckage.
“Thirty seconds after takeoff there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” he told the Hinustan Times.
“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
In an interview with Indian state media DD News, the father-of-one explained he’d managed to unbuckle himself from Seat 11A, using his leg to ‘push through’ and ‘crawl out’ of the debris.
“I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me,” he told the Indian broadcaster.
“For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too, but when I opened my eyes and looked around, I realised I was alive.
“I still can’t believe how I survived. I walked out of the rubble.”
40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was sitting in Seat 11A on the Air India plane (DD India/YouTube)
An investigation into the Indian tragedy is ongoing, but it’s understood a mayday call was made from the aircraft’s cockpit just second after take-off.
“Mayday […] no thrust, losing power, unable to lift,” authorities claim the emergency message said.
Following the near-fatal flight, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a statement.
He remarked that the entirety of India was ‘devastated by the air tragedy’.
“The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words,” he added.
“Condolences to all the bereaved families. We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come. Om Shanti.”
