A woman narrowly avoided tragedy after missing the Air India flight that crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of 241 people.
Identified as Bhoomi Chauhan, the woman was supposed to be on board flight AI-171 bound for London but arrived at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport just 10 minutes too late due to heavy traffic. Her late arrival ultimately saved her life.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers—including 53 British nationals—crashed minutes after departing, leaving only one survivor.
The incident occurred around 1:40 p.m. local time in the Meghani area of Ahmedabad, a densely populated neighborhood where the plane went down.
Local media reports quoted Chauhan, a resident of Ahmedabad, as saying she was still at the airport when she received news of the crash.
Overcome with shock, she said her legs trembled and she felt numb as the reality of what had just happened set in.
“I couldn’t believe it. My entire body was shaking,” she recounted, explaining how a routine delay turned out to be a twist of fate that saved her life.
Chauhan had been visiting India on holiday while her husband remained in London.
She was returning home when the unexpected delay kept her from boarding what would have been a fatal flight.
CCTV footage from the crash site shows the aircraft appearing to lose stability mid-air before plummeting nose-up with landing gear extended, moments before the fatal impact.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash, as emergency crews continue recovery efforts at the scene.
While Chauhan and her loved ones are thankful for her escape, she expressed deep sorrow for the families of the victims whose lives were cut short.
