“Missed by Minutes, Saved by Fate”: Gujarat Woman Escapes Death in AI-171 Crash

By A Staff Reporter

Ahmedabad, June 13 — In what can only be described as a miraculous twist of fate, Bhoomi Chauhan, a resident of Bharuch in Gujarat, narrowly escaped death after missing Air India flight AI-171 — the same aircraft that crashed on Thursday, killing 241 of the 242 people onboard.

Chauhan, visibly shaken, recounted the chilling events of the previous day. “We arrived at the check-in gate 10 minutes late, but they didn't allow me, and I returned,” she said. “They said that it would delay the flight further. I was late because of traffic in the Ahmedabad city area.”

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad, crashed shortly after takeoff under circumstances still being investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The only survivor, a British national of Indian origin, remains hospitalized.

“When I came to know that the flight had crashed, I was totally numb,” Chauhan said. “I thank my mother Goddess that I am safe, but the incident is absolutely terrifying.”