Latest news with #BhoomiChauhan
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Yahoo
Bristol student missed boarding Air India flight due to traffic
A student who was booked on the Air India flight to London Gatwick that crashed on Thursday missed boarding the plane by 10 minutes due to traffic. Bhoomi Chauhan, a Bristol-based business administration student, was on holiday in western India and had booked to travel home on flight AI171. However, the 28-year-old was turned away by airline staff after arriving at Ahmedabad airport less than an hour before the flight was due to depart. The plane crashed into a medical college shortly after takeoff, killing 241 people onboard. A British man, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was the sole survivor. At least five medical students were also killed and about 50 injured, and there are fears the number of people killed on the ground could rise. Chauhan had checked in online and was assigned the economy-class seat 36G. She arrived at the airport at 12.20pm local time, 10 minutes after boarding was scheduled to start. She told the BBC's Gujarati service: 'We got very angry with our driver and left the airport in frustration … I was very disappointed. We left the airport and stood at a place to drink tea and after a while, before leaving … we were talking to the travel agent about how to get a refund for the ticket. There, I got a call that the plane had gone down.' The student said it was a miracle that she had missed her flight, having been caught in traffic in Ahmedabad city centre after travelling from Ankleshwar, about 120 miles south of Ahmedabad. She said: 'When I missed the flight, I was dejected. [The] only thing that I had in mind was: if I had started a little early, I would have boarded the plane. I requested airline staff to allow me inside as I am only 10 minutes [late]. I told them that I am the last passenger and so please allow me to board the plane, but they did not allow me.' Investigations are continuing into the cause of the crash, the first involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The Foreign Office said any British nationals requiring consular assistance or who had concerns about family or friends should call 020 7008 5000.
Independent Singapore
15-06-2025
- Independent Singapore
It's a 'miracle,' says woman who missed Air India flight that crashed, killing 241 on board
Bhoomi Chauhan was heartbroken when she missed her flight by just ten minutes. Now, she calls it 'totally a miracle.' The 28-year-old business administration student was supposed to be on board the Air India flight to London Gatwick that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday (June 12), killing 241 of the 242 people on board. There was only one survivor from the ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner — the first Dreamliner to crash since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011. Chauhan, who lives in Bristol with her husband, was booked on Air India Flight 171 to return home after a holiday in western India. She said she arrived at Ahmedabad airport at 12.20 pm, just 10 minutes after boarding was scheduled to begin. Heavy traffic in central Ahmedabad had delayed her journey from Ankleshwar, a city 125 miles south. In a twist of fate that can only be described as miraculous, a business administration student narrowly avoided being a victim of the recent Air India crash, all thanks to a traffic jam. Bhoomi Chauhan, a 28-year-old living in Bristol, was scheduled to fly home to London Gatwick… — CDR AFRICA (@cdrafrica) June 13, 2025 Though she had checked in and been assigned seat 36G in economy class, she was not allowed to board. See also Woman books entire business class cabin for pet dog 'When I missed the flight, I was dejected,' she said, reported the Guardian . 'The only thing I had in mind was: if I had started a little earlier, I would have boarded the plane. I pleaded with the airline staff, saying I was just 10 minutes late and the last passenger. But they didn't let me in.' Speaking to the BBC's Gujarati service, she said: 'We got very angry with our driver and left the airport in frustration. We were disappointed. We stopped for tea nearby and were talking to our travel agent about how to get a refund when I got a call saying the plane had gone down.' The aircraft plunged into a densely populated area near the airport, crashing into a medical college hostel. At least five medical students were killed. 'When I heard about the crash, I was totally numb,' Chauhan said. Her mother, speaking to reporters, said: 'We thank Mother Goddess for protecting my daughter.' Air India confirmed that 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian were on board. Sole survivor British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is believed to be the sole survivor. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited him in the hospital in Ahmedabad. 'I don't know how I survived,' he said from his hospital bed in an interview with India's public broadcaster. Ramesh, who had facial wounds, recalled that the plane seemed to stall in mid-air shortly after takeoff. Green and white lights flashed inside the cabin. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground. Seated next to an emergency exit on the left side of the aircraft, he managed to get out. He saw the right side of the plane had slammed into a building, blocking exits there, before the aircraft exploded in a massive fireball. His brother, Ajay, seated on the right side, was killed. The brothers were originally from the Indian island of Diu, reported the Wall Street Journal . Thirteen others from Diu were also on the flight, the Journal added, quoting Dipak Deugi, head of their home village, who visited Ramesh in the hospital. He said Ramesh, his parents, and siblings had settled in Britain. Ramesh had run a garment factory in Leicester but shut it down during the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned to Diu to start a fishing-boat business and was flying back to England to visit his wife and family. Ramesh phoned his father moments after the crash, the Journal reported, quoting one of his cousins. 'I don't know how to get out of the plane,' he reportedly said, and wanted to wait for his brother. Ironically, Ramesh is being treated at the hospital of the same medical college whose hostel the plane crashed into. A doctor there said the hospital was treating about 100 injured people, half of them from nearby student housing. The crash is under investigation. India's civil aviation minister has confirmed that the black box has been recovered from the crash site. The flight data recorder is expected to shed light on what caused the aircraft to go down less than a minute after takeoff. Featured image from Wikimedia Commons (for illustration purposes only)
The Independent
15-06-2025
- The Independent
The ‘miracle' delay that saved student from Air India crash
Bhoomi Chauhan, 28, missed the Air India flight that crashed, killing 241 people on board, due to a traffic jam, causing her to arrive at the airport ten minutes late. Chauhan, a business administration student from Bristol, was turned away by airport staff and was initially frustrated about missing the flight and the possibility of a ticket refund. After leaving the airport and learning about the crash, Chauhan described her survival as a "miracle," while her mother attributed it to the blessings of the Mother Goddess. The Air India flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport en route to London Gatwick, killing 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, along with teams from the US and UK, is investigating the crash, with the recently found black box expected to provide insights into the cause.
The Independent
14-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
UK student missed doomed Air India flight by minutes: ‘It's a miracle'
A student has described the 'miracle' of missing the Air India flight that crashed, killing 241 people on board. Bhoomi Chauhan, 28, said she was angry and frustrated after a traffic jam on the way to the airport meant she missed boarding the flight by just ten minutes. Ms Chauhan, a business administration student who lives in Bristol, said she was turned away by airport staff. She told the BBC: 'We got very angry with our driver and left the airport in frustration. I was very disappointed. We left the airport and stood at a place to drink tea and after a while, before leaving... we were talking to the travel agent about how to get a refund for the ticket. There, I got a call that the plane had gone down'. She said it was 'totally a miracle for me'. The Air India flight crashed on Thursday shortly after taking off for London Gatwick, plummeting into a densely populated residential area near Ahmedabad airport. More than 50 Britons were among those on board, with one British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is believed to be the only survivor. Ms Chauhan said she arrived at the airport at 12:20pm local time, just ten minutes after people were scheduled to start boarding the flight. She told reporters that she had travelled from Ankleshwar - around 125 miles south of Ahmedabad. She added that she was 'dejected' after missing the flight and was annoyed that she had not started her journey to the airport earlier. Ms Chauhan added that when she found out that the flight had crashed, she was 'totally numb', local media reported. Her mother reportedly attributed Ms Chauhan's survival to the blessings of the Mother Goddess, telling reporters: 'We thank Mother Goddess for protecting my daughter.' India's civil aviation minister has said that a black box has now been found at the site of the Air India plane crash. The flight data recorder will hopefully shed light on why the plane crashed less than 60 seconds after take-off. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the inquiry, helped by teams from the US and UK. Air India has said that there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian on the aircraft. Families in India with concerns can call Air India on 1800 5691 444. Those outside India can call the British Foreign Office on 020 7008 5000.
Daily Express
14-06-2025
- General
- Daily Express
Missed by minutes: Woman escapes death in Air India crash
Published on: Saturday, June 14, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 14, 2025 Text Size: Bhoomi Chauhan, a 28-year-old student from Bristol, narrowly escaped death after missing her Air India flight to London by just 10 minutes. Delayed by heavy traffic en route to Ahmedabad airport, she was denied boarding despite having checked in online. Advertisement Moments later, while speaking with a travel agent about a refund, she learned that the plane—AI171—had crashed shortly after take-off, killing all 241 passengers, 12 crew, and at least 8 people on the ground. 'I was very angry and disappointed, but now I see it as a miracle,' she told BBC Gujarati. The tragedy claimed the lives of 53 Britons, including families from Gloucester and London. Emergency crews continued to sift through debris into Friday, seeking answers to the crash, which happened just 30 seconds after take-off. Only one passenger, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, is known to have survived. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
