'I am speechless', woman who missed AI flight by 10 minutes; thanks God for lucky escape

Bhumi Chauhan, hailing from Bharuch district miraculously escaped the tragic Air India AI-171 flight crash after she reported for boarding ten minutes late.

She said that her repeated requests were denied by airline officials and was forced to return.

"I was in a taxi when I started receiving calls and saw the news that the flight I was about to board had crashed. I am not in a frame of mind to process what has happened. I am speechless and sad," she said.

Bhumi moved to London with her husband and mother about two years ago. About a month ago, she came to Bharuch to meet her in-laws. "On my way to the airport, I got stuck in the traffic and reached about ten minutes late.

"The staff refused to let me board the plane for reaching ten minutes late. They said that the boarding had been completed and check-in was closed," she said.

"I wasn't in a state of mind to think about what had just happened. As I was returning, my relatives started calling me and then I saw the news. When I first heard it, I just couldn't think of anything. I went blank. I am thankful to my mother Goddess that I am safe but the incident is absolutely terrifying," Chauhan said.

In one of the worst aviation disasters in recent times, the London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 passengers crashed into a medical college within a minute of taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

40-year-old Ramesh Vishwas Kumar miraculously survived in the crash that claimed the lives of 241 other people on board. Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft crashed seconds after taking off in a residential area. Sources are attributing "complete engine failure" as the reason behind the crash.