The Air India crash that claimed 243 lives has left the world heartbroken, with only one survivor—40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh from Leicester, England. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff en route to London’s Gatwick Airport.

A Thai singer, Ruangsak “James” Loychusak, was deeply shaken by the news. He survived a similar crash in 1998—Thai Airways flight TG261, which crashed into a swamp during landing. Of the 146 onboard, 101 died. Ruangsak noticed a chilling detail: both he and Ramesh were seated in 11A.

“When I saw the survivor sat in 11A, I got goosebumps,” Ruangsak shared. “I’ll never forget my seat number.” After his crash, he battled severe flying anxiety for a decade, haunted by memories of the tragedy.

Ramesh recounted that the plane split apart mid-air, ejecting him near the emergency door, just before a fiery explosion. “I opened my seatbelt and ran. There were bodies all around me,” he said. He sustained burns and multiple injuries but is now stable.

His brother, who was also onboard, is presumed dead. Ramesh said the plane felt “stuck” right after takeoff, and then “went full speed and crashed into the building.”

Footage of him limping from the crash site went viral. A bystander helped him into an ambulance. “I still don’t know how I survived,” he told reporters.

This tragedy has united past and present survivors in grief and reflection. Our thoughts remain with all those affected by this devastating event.