Missed by Minutes: passenger recounts emotional escape after deadly Air India crash in Ahmedabad

A woman who narrowly missed boarding the Air India flight that crashed into a densely populated residential area near BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad has shared her emotional experience in a live interview with Republic World.

Bhoomi Chauhan, who was travelling alone to London, where her husband lives, after she had worked and returned to India for holidays, said she arrived at the airport just 10 minutes late due to heavy traffic and missed the flight.

The plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was bound for London but crashed shortly after takeoff, killing at least 170 people as of 12:30 p.m. Ghana time, while rescue teams were still working at the crash site.

JoyNews monitored the live interview, where Bhoomi recounted the moment she heard the devastating news. “I am completely devastated after hearing about this tragedy. My body is still shivering,” she said.

According to Bhoomi, she left the airport around 1:30 p.m. Indian time after missing the flight and was confused and heartbroken upon learning about the crash minutes later.
“I can’t even talk,” she said, her voice trembling during the live interview, trying to understand what happened.

Devastated yet grateful, she headed home, haunted by thoughts of what could have been. Her story is one of many fragility of life, and the thin line between survival and loss.
The incident has shocked the nation and raised fresh concerns about the aircraft involved. Sources say the same Boeing aircraft had a reported technical issue in December 2024, though it was identified and addressed at the time.

Videos circulating on social media showed thick black smoke rising from the crash site as emergency services rushed to the scene. Over 240 passengers were on board at the time of the accident.

“Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals,” Air India said.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner, G.S. Malik, said there appear to be no survivors from the Air India plane. He said the aircraft went down in a residential area that also housed offices, raising fears that residents may be among the dead.

Malik added that the exact number of casualties was still being verified as rescue operations continued at the crash site. “It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash. As the plane had fallen in a residential area which also had offices, some locals would have also died,” he said.

The tragedy marks the first major crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner anywhere in the world, raising questions about Air India’s safety record and prompting public demands for a thorough investigation.

But is it the first time Air India experienced such a deadly crash? No. Here is what we have found.

Air India Express crash in Kozhikode: 21 dead, including both pilots

On August 7, 2020, an Air India Express Boeing 737 crashed in Kozhikode, Kerala, after overshooting a tabletop runway and plunging into a gorge. The flight, arriving from Dubai, was part of the Vande Bharat repatriation programme during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Piloted by Wing Commander Deepak Vasant Sathe and Captain Akhilesh Kumar, the aircraft was carrying 191 people. The crew made two landing attempts in heavy rain before the crash occurred.

The tragedy claimed the lives of 21 people, including both pilots.

Mangaluru crash 2010: one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters

On May 22, 2010, Air India Express Flight 812, a Boeing 737-800, crashed while landing at the Mangaluru airport, in Tannirbhavi. The aircraft, carrying 166 passengers and crew, overshot the tabletop runway, struck an instrument landing system structure, and broke apart.

The crash resulted in the deaths of 158 people, making it one of the worst air disasters in India’s history. Only eight passengers survived, while twelve victims could not be identified and were given a mass funeral.

Aviation experts noted that table-top runways, built on elevated terrain, pose challenges for pilots due to optical illusions, increasing the risk of overshooting during landings.

Kanishka bombing 1985: worst terror attack in India’s aviation history

On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182, also known as the ‘Kanishka’, exploded mid-air off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people on board. The Boeing 747-237B was en route from Montreal to New Delhi, with a scheduled stopover at London Heathrow, just 45 minutes away at the time of the explosion.

Most of the victims were Canadians of Indian descent. Investigations revealed that the disaster was caused by a bomb placed in a suitcase, planted by Sikh separatists in retaliation for the Indian Army’s 1984 assault on the Golden Temple in Punjab.

The attack remains India’s worst aviation terror incident and severely strained India–Canada relations for years.

Air India crash 1978: 213 killed in Arabian Sea disaster

On January 1, 1978, Air India Flight 855, en route to Dubai, crashed into the Arabian Sea shortly after takeoff from Santacruz Airport in Mumbai at 8:00 p.m.. The crash was caused by instrument failure, which led to spatial disorientation for the pilot and crew. The aircraft lost control and plunged into the sea.

All 213 people on board, including passengers and crew, were killed instantly, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s history.

Air India Flight 171 crashed in the Arabian Sea after an engine fire in 1976

On October 12, 1976, Air India Flight 171, a Caravelle aircraft, crashed shortly after taking off from Bombay Airport en route to Madras.

The crash occurred when one of the plane’s engines caught fire mid-air. There were 95 people on board, including 89 passengers and six crew members. The accident resulted in the loss of all lives, adding to the list of tragic incidents in Air India’s aviation history.

Air India Flight 101 crashed into Mont Blanc in 1966, killing nuclear pioneer Homi Bhabha

On January 24, 1966, Air India Flight 101, a Boeing 707 named ‘Kanchenjunga’, crashed into the Mont Blanc mountains in Switzerland, killing all 117 people on board, including crew and passengers.

Among the victims was Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, a prominent nuclear physicist widely regarded as the father of India’s nuclear programme. The flight was travelling from Bombay to London, with scheduled stops in Delhi, Beirut, and Geneva.

The exact cause of the crash remains unclear to this day. The loss of Bhabha has given rise to various conspiracy theories, some suggesting sabotage due to his key role in India’s atomic energy ambitions.

1950 Mont Blanc crash: Air India’s ‘Malabar Princess’ kills 48 in Switzerland

On November 3, 1950, Air India Flight 245, a Lockheed Constellation aircraft nicknamed ‘Malabar Princess’, crashed into the Mont Blanc mountains on the French-Italian border, near Rocher de la Tournette at an altitude of about 4,677 metres.

The flight, travelling from Mumbai to London with scheduled stops, had departed from Cairo and was en route to Geneva when the crash occurred. All 48 people on board were killed. This was the first major international aviation disaster involving Air India, and tragically, it took place in the same region as the 1966 Mont Blanc crash.

Reactions from India’s civil aviation, the Indian Prime Minister, and the UK Prime Minister

India’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, said he was “shocked and devastated” by news of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. In a statement posted on social media, the minister assured the public that officials were on the “highest alert” and that he was personally monitoring the situation. He added that he had directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action to manage the crisis.

“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” Kinjarapu said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep sorrow over the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, calling it a “heartbreaking tragedy.”

In a statement, he said, “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

Modi added that he is in close contact with ministers and authorities who are working to support rescue efforts and assist those impacted by the disaster.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reacted to the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, describing the incident as “devastating.”

In a statement, Starmer said, “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.”

He is expected to receive regular updates as investigations and rescue efforts continue.

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