Ahmedabad: A stroke of fate spared Bhoomi Chauhan from one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters on Thursday. The Bharuch resident was scheduled to board Air India Flight 171 to London but missed the ill-fated flight by just 10 minutes — a delay that ultimately saved her life.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people including 12 crew members, crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport, claiming 241 lives. In a miraculous turn, only one passenger — a British national of Indian origin — survived the devastating crash.
#WATCH | Bhoomi Chauhan, a resident of Gujarat’s Bharuch, missed yesterday’s flight, AI-171, which crashed and 241 of 242 on board, including crew members, lost their lives.
Bhoomi Chauhan’s mother says, “We thank Mother Goddess for protecting my daughter. She left her child… pic.twitter.com/Mb4VFKI7x2
— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025
Speaking about her narrow escape, Bhoomi recounted, “We reached the check-in gate 10 minutes late due to traffic congestion in Ahmedabad. The airline staff didn’t allow me to board, saying it would delay the flight. When news of the crash broke, I was completely numb. I can’t describe what I felt at that moment.”
Her mother credited the miraculous escape to divine intervention, thanking the Mother Goddess for protecting her daughter. “Because of Her blessings, Bhoomi is with us today,” she told reporters.