Thai singer who survived 1998 plane crash that killed 101 passengers shocked as he learnt recent survivor in Air India plane crash sat on same 11A seat he sat on

• Sole survivor says, ” I opened my seatbelt and got out of there”
• A newlywed was on her way to join her husband in London before she died in the plane crash

A Thai singer has recounted how he survived a plane crash in 1998 that killed 101 passengers while sitting in seat 11A – the same seat as the sole survivor of the recent Air India disaster.  

Ruangsak Loychusak, 47, was onboard Thai Airways flight TG261 travelling from Bangkok to Surat Thani when it stalled and plunged into a swamp as it attempted to land. 

The tragedy left 101 of the 132 passengers and 14 crew members dead, while 45 more were injured.  

Speaking on June 12, 2025, after Air India crashed and only 1 passenger survived, Ruangsak said he had “goosebumps” when seeing that the only survivor from the Air India crash in Ahmedabad was British passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was in seat 11A when his jet plunged into a building.  

“The lone survivor of the plane crash in India was sitting in the same seat number as me, 11A,” Mr Loychusak said.  

“I want to offer my condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the tragedy.” 

Although the singer no longer has his ticket from the doomed flight, he said newspaper reports from the time had recorded his seat number. 

Mr Ruangsak also described how he has lived his “second life” since he survived the devastating crash. 

“I had difficulty flying for 10 years after the crash. I would struggle breathing, even though the air circulation was normal,” he said.  

“I avoided speaking to anyone and always stared outside the window, blocking anyone from closing it to maintain my sense of safety. 

“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.” 

The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into buildings moments after takeoff on Thursday, June 12, 2025. 

The aircraft, which was bound for London Gatwick, exploded in a fireball. 

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, from Leicester, England, was the only person from the 244 onboard to survive. 

Sharing his shocking account of the disaster today, he described how he was “ejected” from the jet before it hit the ground and exploded. 

Mr Ramesh, who lives in London with his wife and child, is being treated at a hospital in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad, where he told doctors that immediately after the plane took off, it began descending and suddenly split in two, ejecting him before there was a loud explosion. 

Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who examined Mr Ramesh, told the Associated Press that he was disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body but that he “seems to be out of danger.” 

Speaking to Indian broadcaster Doordarshan, Mr Ramesh said: “I don’t know how I came out of it alive. 

“For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive. And I opened my seatbelt and got out of there,” adding how two cabin crew members died before my eyes.” 

His seat was placed right next to the emergency door, which he says came off when the plane hit the ground. 

Mr Ramesh also described how just moments after takeoff, it “felt like the plane had got stuck.” 

He recalled how the pilots tried to raise the jet, but it “went full speed and crashed into the building.” 

Mr Ramesh explained how the plane quickly caught fire following the crash, and said he burned his arm. 

Astonishing footage taken near the crash site yesterday showed Mr Ramesh with visible injuries hobbling away from the jet before he was rushed to the hospital for treatment. 

Mr Ramesh, whose brother was also on the flight and is presumed dead, described yesterday how he heard a “a loud noise” before the plane crashed. 

“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 the meantime, a woman who had recently married and was travelling to London to join her husband for the first time was among the victims of the Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad on Thursday.

What was meant to be a new beginning turned into an unimaginable tragedy for Khushboo Kanwar of Araba Dudawata village in Rajasthan’s Balotra district. Khushboo.

Khushboo Kanwar got married to her husband Vipul Singh Rajpurohit from Kharabaira Purohit in Luni, on January 18.

Vipul, a London-based doctor, had been eagerly awaiting her arrival as she had set out to join her husband in London.

Khushboo left her village on Wednesday and stayed at her in-laws’ home in Luni before heading to Ahmedabad to board her Thursday flight.

Her departure was an emotional moment for the family. She was pictured posing with her dad outside the airport and was also captured in a video making her way inside the airport.

However, tragedy struck when Air India flight AI 171 crashed shortly after takeoff in Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad.

The tragic news deeply affected Khushboo’s native village, Araba Dudawata, and her in-laws’ home in Luni. Her village and family are now in deep mourning and shock.

The London-bound flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 pm on Thursday. Just minutes into the journey, it issued a mayday call and crashed into a government hospital hostel near the airport. The aircraft burst into flames.

Officials confirmed that 265 bodies had been recovered from the crash site till 11.30 pm on Thursday. The Indian Medical Association said three medical students were among the deceased, while several others were injured. Among the victims were nationals from India, the UK, Portugal, and Canada.