A woman narrowly escaped death after missing the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Thursday, killing 241 people.
Identified as Bhoomi Chauhan, the Ahmedabad resident was scheduled to board flight AI-171 from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport to London, but was delayed by heavy traffic and arrived just 10 minutes after the boarding gate closed.
Her late arrival proved life-saving, as the aircraft—a Boeing 787 Dreamliner—crashed shortly after takeoff, leaving only one survivor out of 242 people on board.
The passengers included 53 British nationals, according to Indian authorities.
Chauhan, who had been visiting India for a holiday while her husband remained in the UK, recounted the chilling moment she received news of the crash shortly after being denied boarding.
Speaking to local media, she said her body began to tremble and her mind went numb upon realizing the gravity of what she had narrowly avoided.
“I was still at the airport when I heard the news. My legs started shaking. I couldn’t believe it,” she said, visibly shaken.
The plane had taken off around 1:40pm local time (8:10am BST) before it lost altitude and crashed into the densely populated Meghani area of the city.
CCTV footage captured the harrowing moment the aircraft appeared to lose control, with its nose pitched upwards and landing gear deployed before it descended rapidly and crashed.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by aviation authorities.
Emergency response teams have been working around the clock at the crash site, where recovery operations are ongoing.
Chauhan’s close call has drawn widespread attention and has been described as a miraculous escape.
While her family is relieved, they also share in the grief of the many families mourning the loss of their loved ones in what is now one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent years.