TOTAL MIRACLE’: Student misses Air India flight, gains new lease on life

International

FOR BHOOMI Chauhan, a traffic jam that caused intense frustration may have ultimately saved her life.

The 28-year-old student, who had been visiting western India, was due to return to the UK on Air India Flight AI171 on Thursday. The plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing all 253 people on board and at least eight more on the ground.

Chauhan had traveled from Ankleshwar, around 200 kilometers south of Ahmedabad, but was delayed by bumper-to-bumper traffic in the city center. By the time she reached the airport — 10 minutes after boarding had started — airline staff refused to let her through, despite her online check-in and valid boarding pass for seat 36G.

“I requested airline staff to allow me inside as I am only 10 minutes [late],” she said in a BBC report. “I told them that I am the last passenger and so please allow me to board the plane, but they did not allow me.”

Upset by the missed flight, she and her husband left the terminal and stopped at a nearby tea stall. While speaking with a travel agent about a possible ticket refund, she received a phone call with the news: the plane had gone down. She described her reaction as disbelief, saying, “This is totally a miracle for me.”

The London-bound aircraft had taken off as scheduled that afternoon but struggled to gain altitude. Within half a minute, it crashed into a densely populated residential area, sparking a fire and leveling several buildings.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, working late into the night and into the following day to recover remains and investigate the cause. All 241 passengers and 12 crew members on board died in the crash. Authorities also confirmed at least eight fatalities on the ground.

Among the victims were Indian, Portuguese, and Canadian nationals. The UK lost 53 citizens in the tragedy, including a family from Gloucester, three relatives from London, and a couple who ran a spiritual wellness center in the capital.

One passenger, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, survived the crash and was hospitalized with injuries.

Chauhan, who lives in Bristol with her husband, said she was devastated when she missed the flight. At the time, all she could think was that she should have left earlier to make it on time. Now, she says, what felt like a misfortune turned out to be a life-saving twist of fate.(MyTVCebu)