The crash of Air India flight AI-171 on June 12, 2025, has left a trail of devastation and grief. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, claiming the lives of 241 people. Amidst this tragedy, a story of a near miss has emerged, highlighting the precariousness of life and the capricious nature of fate.
Bhoomi Chauhan, a London-based woman, was scheduled to be on the ill-fated flight but missed it by a mere 10 minutes due to traffic congestion. This delay, which would typically be a source of frustration, turned out to be a life-saving stroke of luck. News of the crash reached her shortly after she left the airport, leaving her in a state of shock and disbelief.
"My body is shivering. Ganpati Bappa saved me," she told Republic TV, expressing her profound gratitude and the emotional turmoil she was experiencing. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Chauhan recounted leaving the airport around 1:30 pm, just minutes before the flight took off at 1:38 pm. The realization that she had narrowly escaped such a horrific tragedy has left her "completely devastated," struggling to comprehend the magnitude of her near miss. "Just because of those ten minutes, I could not board the flight. I don't know how to explain this," she said.
The incident has had a profound psychological impact on Chauhan. The weight of knowing that she was meant to be on that flight, and the sheer chance that prevented her from boarding, has left her feeling numb and overwhelmed. She described her mind as "totally blank," grappling with the knowledge that a slight change in circumstances could have altered her fate drastically.
The Air India crash is currently under investigation, with authorities from India, the US, and the UK collaborating to determine the cause of the accident. Preliminary reports indicate that the plane struggled to gain altitude after takeoff, reaching a height of only 625 feet before crashing into a residential area near the airport. The impact and subsequent explosion resulted in widespread damage, with casualties reported both on board the aircraft and on the ground.
The crash has raised concerns about the safety of air travel and has prompted scrutiny of both Boeing and Air India. It was the first fatal incident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model that had previously maintained a strong safety record.
