In a chilling twist of fate, Bhoomi Chauhan, a resident of Gujarat’s Bharuch, narrowly escaped certain death after missing Air India flight 171 by just 10 minutes. The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, claiming the lives of 241 people, including 12 crew members, Air India confirmed early Friday.
Speaking to ANI, Bhoomi recounted her harrowing brush with death: “We reached the check-in gate 10 minutes late, but they didn’t let us in. They said it would delay the flight. I was late due to traffic in Ahmedabad. When I heard the flight had crashed, I was completely numb. I thank Mother Goddess that I am safe — but the incident is absolutely terrifying.”
Her mother, deeply emotional, said divine intervention saved her daughter: “We thank Mother Goddess for protecting my daughter. She left her child with me. Because of that child and the Goddess’s blessings, she is alive today.”
Bhoomi’s father added that despite pleading with airline staff, they were denied boarding due to late arrival caused by traffic delays: “We requested, but they didn’t allow us. Just after we left the airport, we heard the flight had crashed.”
The aircraft, operated by Air India as Flight AI-171, was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian citizen. It crashed into a residential doctors’ hostel building near Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, shortly after takeoff at 1339 IST from Runway 23. A Mayday call was issued, but no further response came from the aircraft.
The crash left only one survivor — a British citizen of Indian origin — whose escape is being described as nothing short of a miracle.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site early Friday, accompanied by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and senior officials. He also met with the injured at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
The aircraft was being flown by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a senior pilot with over 8,200 hours of flight experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, with 1,100 hours.
A formal investigation has been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). A high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines will also examine the tragedy and explore measures to enhance aviation safety.
The crash is one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India in recent years, with authorities now working to determine its cause and ensure that such a catastrophe does not happen again.
