Bhoomi Chauhan’s frustration turned to disbelief when she realized her biggest travel inconvenience had actually saved her life.
The 28-year-old missed Air India Flight 171 by mere minutes after getting stuck in traffic. Though she had checked in online, airline staff refused to let her board. “I was furious,” she confessed. But her anger faded when news broke that the plane had crashed shortly after takeoff, killing everyone onboard.
“I was sitting at a café, complaining about my bad luck,” Chauhan recalled. “Then someone told me the flight had gone down. I couldn’t process it.”
Meanwhile, a single survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, emerged from the wreckage. Video footage showed him limping away from the crash site, dazed but alive. His family in the UK rejoiced at his survival, though the fate of his brother, who was also on the flight, remains unknown.
Aviation experts called Ramesh’s survival near-miraculous, given his seat’s location. For Chauhan, the ordeal has left her with a profound sense of gratitude. “I don’t know why I was spared,” she said. “But I’ll never take time—or life—for granted again.”
