Topics: World News, News, Air India
A survivor of a plane crash which took place in 1998 has now issued a statement after realising that the sole survivor from the Air India crash yesterday (12 June) sat in the exact same seat as him.
The crash which took place yesterday tragically killed 241 of the 242 people on board, leaving 40-year-old British passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh as the sole survivor.
And, shortly after the first-of-its-kind catastrophe, which took place just moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad, western India, Ramesh spoke to the Hindustan Times about the moment the plane went down, claiming to have heard a 'loud noise' around 30 seconds after the plane, which was headed to London's Gatwick Airport, left the ground.
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"It all happened so quickly," he recalled, revealing he'd sustained 'impact injuries' on his chest, eyes and feet.
"When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran," he continued. "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."
Ramesh has since spoken to press again today (13 June) - as per Metro - providing further detail about the moment the plane plummeted.
"When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air," he went on to explain. "Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white – then the plane rammed into some establishment that was there."
Reflecting on his survival, Ramesh went on to recall: "When I saw the exit, I thought I could come out. I tried, and I did.
"Maybe the people who were on the other side of the plane weren’t able to."
He went on to admit he 'doesn't know how' he was able to make it out alive.
"I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me," Ramesh continued. "I walked out of the rubble."
Now, Ramesh was sitting in seat 11A on the Air India airliner - the exact same seat the professional singer, Ruangsak Loychusak, had also been sitting in during the Thai Airways flight TG261 that killed 101 passengers in 1998, whilst injuring a further 45.
The aircraft had been travelling from the capital of Bangkok to Surat Thani when it suddenly stalled.
The plane plunged into a swamp during the landing attempt, and 14 crew members also lost their lives as a result.
Following yesterday's news, 47-year-old Loychusak told the press that he experienced 'goosebumps' after learning that Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India flight, had also been sitting in 11A when the plane went down.
"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."
"I had difficulty flying for 10 years after the crash," Loychusak confessed.
"I would struggle breathing, even though the air circulation was normal. I avoided speaking to anyone and always stared outside the window, blocking anyone from closing it to maintain my sense of safety."
He added: "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 plane crash survivor also acknowledged that surviving the fatal collision has given him a 'second life'.
