A Chilling Coincidence across Continents and Decades
The story begins with Thai actor and singer Ruangsak Loychusak. In December 1998, a 20-year-old Ruangsak was aboard Thai Airways Flight TG261 when it crashed while attempting to land in southern Thailand, a disaster that killed 101 of the 146 people on board. Ruangsak was one of the survivors, and his seat number was 11A.
Now 47, Ruangsak said he got "goosebumps" upon learning that Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of Thursday's Air India Flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, was also seated in 11A. In a Facebook post, Ruangsak shared the striking connection: "Survivor of a plane crash in India. He sat in the same seat as me. 11A." Though he no longer has his original boarding pass, he noted that newspaper articles from 1998 documented his seat number.
The Miracle on Flight AI171
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, had a miraculous escape from the Air India crash that claimed the lives of the other 241 people on board. Seated in 11A, an emergency exit row, Ramesh was reportedly thrown from the aircraft upon impact. Despite suffering multiple injuries, he was able to walk away from the wreckage and into a waiting ambulance. Speaking from the hospital, he expressed his disbelief, "For some time, I thought I was also going to die. But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive and I tried to unbuckle myself from the seat and escape from where I could."
A Story of Shared Trauma and Public Fascination
The "miracle on seat 11A" has captured the public's imagination, sparking a global fascination with the two men's intertwined fates. For Ruangsak Loychusak, the experience left a lasting impact; he has openly spoken about the trauma and survivor's guilt he carried for years and reportedly did not fly again for a decade. He described his survival as being given a "second life" and offered his condolences to the families affected by the recent tragedy.
The story has also had a peculiar modern-day side effect. The fascination with Ramesh's escape has led to a surge of interest in emergency exit seats, with social media buzzing with people looking to book seat 11A for their own future travels.
This incredible parallel between two unrelated tragedies serves as a powerful and poignant reminder of the unpredictable nature of fate. While one man has lived for decades with the memory of his survival from seat 11A, another now begins that same journey, forever linked by a shared, inexplicable brush with destiny.
Image Source: Tyla
