Seat 11A: A Chilling Link Between Two Air Tragedy Survivors
Nearly three decades ago, Thai singer Ruangsak Loychusak—famous in the 90s as 'Iron Bones'—miraculously walked away from the wreckage of Thai Airways Flight TG261. The plane had crashed into a rubber plantation in 1998, killing 101 people. Ruangsak, who was seated in 11A, survived with injuries and carried a fear of flying for more than 10 years.
Now, almost 27 years later, the number 11A has resurfaced in a way that left him speechless.
This week, Ruangsak learned that Vishwash Kumar Ramesh—the only survivor of the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad—was also sitting in seat 11A when the plane hit a college hostel building.
In a quiet and emotional post, Ruangsak said the coincidence gave him goosebumps. He called it a powerful reminder of how unpredictable and fragile life can be.
He offered his heartfelt condolences to the victims' families in Ahmedabad and reflected on how one seat—11A—has now come to represent survival against all odds in two separate tragedies.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
12 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Seat 11A: A Chilling Link Between Two Air Tragedy Survivors
Nearly three decades ago, Thai singer Ruangsak Loychusak—famous in the 90s as 'Iron Bones'—miraculously walked away from the wreckage of Thai Airways Flight TG261. The plane had crashed into a rubber plantation in 1998, killing 101 people. Ruangsak, who was seated in 11A, survived with injuries and carried a fear of flying for more than 10 years. Now, almost 27 years later, the number 11A has resurfaced in a way that left him speechless. This week, Ruangsak learned that Vishwash Kumar Ramesh—the only survivor of the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad—was also sitting in seat 11A when the plane hit a college hostel building. In a quiet and emotional post, Ruangsak said the coincidence gave him goosebumps. He called it a powerful reminder of how unpredictable and fragile life can be. He offered his heartfelt condolences to the victims' families in Ahmedabad and reflected on how one seat—11A—has now come to represent survival against all odds in two separate tragedies.
Daily Tribune
12 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Indian air crash victims remembered at King Charles's birthday parade
A minute's silence for victims of the Air India plane disaster was held on Saturday at a London birthday parade for King Charles III, in which some members of the royal family also wore black arm bands. The king, 76, requested amendments to the parade, known as Trooping the Colour, "as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy", a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said. A total 279 people, including passengers, crew and people on the ground, died on Thursday when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London's Gatwick Airport crashed on take-off from Ahmedabad in eastern India. The victims included 52 Britons. A sole survivor has been named as British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, from the central English city of Leicester. In a written message after the disaster, Charles said he was "desperately shocked by the terrible events" and expressed his "deepest possible sympathy". Trooping the Colour, a minutely choreographed military tradition dating back more than two centuries, marks the British sovereign's official birthday. It starts at Buckingham Palace and moves down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, where Charles receives a royal salute before inspecting soldiers. Hundreds of people gathered outside the palace and along The Mall to watch the spectacle. They included a small group of anti-monarchist protesters with yellow placards reading "not my king" and "down with the crown". Charles, who is still undergoing weekly treatment for an unspecified cancer, was accompanied by Queen Camilla for the parade. Also present were heir Prince William, 42, his wife Catherine, also known as Kate, and their three children: George, 11, Charlotte, 10 and Louis, seven. - No Harry - Catherine, 43, whose formal title is Princess of Wales, has also faced her own cancer battle. She announced that she had also been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer in March 2024 just weeks after Charles revealed his own cancer. The princess said in January 2025 that she was "in remission" and she has since made a partial return to public life. Not present at Saturday's parade, were Charles's estranged younger son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who both stepped down from royal family duties in 2020, and moved to the United States. Harry's fraught ties with his family have worsened since he and Meghan made various public allegations against the royals. Harry and his brother William are said to barely be on speaking terms, according to UK media. Although Trooping of the Colour takes place in June, the king was actually born in November. The second birthday tradition dates back to 1748, when King George II wanted to have a celebration in better weather than at his own birthday, which was in October.
Daily Tribune
18 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
India plane crash death toll rises to 279
Grieving families waited Saturday for news after one of the deadliest air disasters in decades, with the toll rising to 279 people killed in the Indian passenger jet crash. The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner issued a mayday call shortly before it crashed around lunchtime on Thursday, bursting into a fireball as it hit residential buildings. On Saturday, a police source said that 279 bodies had been recovered from the crash site in the northern Indian city of Ahmedabad, one of the worst plane disasters of the 21st century. There was one survivor out of 242 passengers and crew on board the jet when it crashed, leaving the tailpiece of the aircraft jutting out of a hostel for medical staff. At least 38 people were killed on the ground. "I saw my child for the first time in two years, it was a great time," said Anil Patel, whose son and daughter-in-law had surprised him with a visit before boarding the Air India flight. "And now, there is nothing," he said, breaking down in tears. "Whatever the gods wanted has happened." - Search for black box - Distraught relatives of passengers have been providing DNA samples in Ahmedabad, with some having to fly to India to help the process. The official casualty number will not be finalised until the slow process of DNA identification is completed. Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members. Those killed ranged from a top politician to a teenage tea seller. The lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, said even he could not explain how he survived. "Initially, I too thought that I was about to die, but then I opened my eyes and realised that I was still alive," Ramesh, a British citizen, told national broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Friday that a flight data recorder, or black box, had been recovered, saying it would "significantly aid" investigations. Forensic teams are still looking for the second black box, as they probe why the plane crashed after lifting barely 100 metres (330 feet) from the ground. US planemaker Boeing said it was in touch with Air India and stood "ready to support them" over the incident, which a source close to the case said was the first crash for a 787 Dreamliner.
