New Delhi: Sometimes destiny steps in when we least expect it. For Bhoomi Chauhan, a UK-based woman visiting India for the first time in two years, a 10-minute delay made the difference between life and death.
Bhoomi was scheduled to fly on Air India Flight AI-171—the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that tragically crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 people. Caught in traffic and missing a printed boarding pass, Bhoomi arrived too late to board. “I missed it by 10 minutes. I pleaded with them, but they wouldn’t let me on. I left the airport at 1:30 p.m., and it took off at 1:38,” she said, visibly shaken.
The plane, headed for London’s Gatwick Airport, never reached cruising altitude. Just 625 feet into its ascent, it plummeted into a residential area, igniting a deadly inferno.
Speaking from her family’s home in Bharuch, Bhoomi broke down recalling the near-miss. “My whole body was trembling. My mind went blank. My Ganpati Bappa saved me.”
Her voice cracked with emotion as she said, “I should have been on that plane. It could have been me.”
India now mourns one of its deadliest air disasters. Among the victims was former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani. The only survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national seated in 11A, is being treated for serious injuries.
As Bhoomi tries to move on, the guilt of survival lingers. “I won’t forget this for the rest of my life.”
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