Bhumi Chouhan, a resident of Bharuch, Gujarat, has described her narrowly avoided journey on Air India Flight AI171 as a “rebirth”, after missing the ill-fated flight by just 10 minutes. Speaking to India Today, the young woman recounted how what initially felt like misfortune became an event that may have saved her life.
The flight, bound for London from Ahmedabad, crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday, claiming the lives of 265 people, including 241 passengers, 12 crew members, and 12 individuals on the ground. Only one survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, has been reported.
Bhumi was supposed to travel to London to meet her husband, but was caught in traffic and arrived at the airport at 12:20 pm, missing the 12:10 pm check-in deadline. She pleaded with airport staff, but was denied boarding. At first, she was deeply upset.
“Initially, I was very sad about not being able to board the flight. However, as I was returning home, I learned that the flight I was scheduled to board had crashed.”
Her words reveal a haunting sense of survivor’s disbelief and gratitude, as she described the near-miss as a second chance at life:
“I consider myself lucky and perhaps, there were some good deeds which saved me. I consider this as my re-birth.”
Bhumi also expressed deep sorrow for the victims, noting the overwhelming tragedy that befell so many innocent people.
As rescue and recovery operations continue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited both the crash site and injured survivors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, a formal investigation is underway, with the black box already recovered, and international teams including the US NTSB, Boeing officials, and UK safety experts participating.
Bhumi’s story stands as a powerful and emotional reminder of the thin line between life and death—and the cruel unpredictability of fate.
