New Delhi: Still stressed about missing her flight due to Ahmedabad’s heavy traffic Thursday, it took Bhoomi Chauhan a few moments to realise just how lucky she had been—a 10-minute delay had saved her life.
Booked to fly to London on AI171, the Bharuch resident heard about the crash just as she was exiting the airport building, having been turned away from the check-in counter.
The Ahmedabad-London flight crashed minutes after take-off and moments after Bhoomi was refused boarding. All 242 passengers, bar one, on the flight perished as Bhoomi was leaving the airport.
“I went totally numb when I heard about the crash. My Ganpatiji saved me,” Bhoomi said ti ANI.
“We arrived at the check-in gate 10 minutes late, but they didn’t allow me on, and I returned. They said that it would delay the flight further. I was late because of traffic in the Ahmedabad city area. When I came to know that the flight had crashed, I went totally numb. I thank my mother Goddess that I am safe, but the incident is absolutely terrifying,” Bhoomi said.
#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 says, "…We arrived at the check-in gate 10 minutes late, but they didn't allow me, and I… pic.twitter.com/T1AqU9SSz0
— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025
Bhoomi was in India after a gap of 2 years to visit her parents. She was scheduled to fly back on the Air India flight to rejoin her husband in London.
Bhoomi’s mother said she had left her child behind at home and was supposed to fly alone. “We thank God for protecting my daughter. She left her child with me, and it’s all because of God’s blessings. Because of that child, she is with me. By God’s grace she returned home safely,” she told ANI.
#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