`I am shivering`, woman who missed AI flight by 10 minutes; thanks God

Bhumi Chauhan, a UK-based woman visiting India, is thanking God and her stars for missing the ill-fated Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad as she got stuck in heavy traffic and reached the airport late.

Chauhan said she missed boarding the AI 171 flight to London, which crashed soon after taking off on Thursday afternoon from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, by just 10 minutes, reported news agency PTI. 

She was in Ahmedabad for the first time after moving to the UK two years ago.

"I am shivering after I learnt about the crash. I left the airport at 1.30 pm as I missed the flight due to traffic. I thank God," Chauhan told Republic TV, reported news agency PTI.

She said she was in India for vacation and scheduled to go back to London on the flight which took off at 1.39 pm and crashed into a medical college complex near the Ahmedabad airport and burst into a ball of fire less than a minute after take-off.

"The flight was on time and I missed it and I thank God. My prayers for all those who were on board," she said, reported PTI. 

Chauhan said she is devastated by India`s worst air disaster, which claimed 265 lives.

"Couldn`t believe how I was saved": Miracle survivor of Ahmedabad plane crash narrates horrific tale of escaping death

The lone survivor of the Ahmedabad plane crash, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who miraculously escaped death, shared his horrific experience on Friday, moments after interacting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In an interview with Doordarshan, he narrated the incident and said that his seat, 11-A, was situated in a part of the plane that had landed on the ground floor of the building, which it had crashed into. Vishwash, who is a British Citizen of Indian origin, then removed his seat belt and came out of the aircraft, adding that his left hand was burned when fire erupted.

Sharing the horrific experience, he said that all he saw were the bodies of passengers and crew members.

Vishwash said, "The side where I was sitting wasn`t on the hostel side, it was the ground floor of the hostel. I don`t know about others, but the place I was sitting that portion landed on the ground floor, and there was some space. As soon as my door broke, I saw that there was some space, and then I tried to get out, and I got out. There was a building wall on the opposite side, and the plane had crashed completely on that side, so probably that is why nobody could get out from that side. There was space only where I was. I don`t know how I survived. When the fire broke out, my left hand also got burned. Then I was admitted to the hospital. People here are treating me well. People are very nice here."

Vishwash`s survival is no less than a miracle. For some time, he had thought that he would also die, but miraculously escaped death.

(With PTI inputs)