Air India Crash Has Two Survivors, Not Just One: Second Individual Missed Doomed Flight By 10 Minutes

One passenger survived the crash, while another escaped death after arriving at the airport just minutes too late to board

Air India was one of several carriers that has had to divert passenger aircraft after hoax bomb threats — AFP News

What was initially considered a tragedy with a lone survivor has now taken a dramatic turn. Officials have confirmed that two individuals narrowly escaped death in the catastrophic Air India crash on Thursday that claimed at least 274 lives.

While one man emerged from the wreckage bloodied and dazed, another woman avoided the disaster altogether—because she missed the flight by just 10 minutes.

A 'Miracle' Escape: Missed Flight Saves Student's Life

Bhoomi Chauhan, a 28-year-old student from Bristol, was meant to be on Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. She had been visiting family in Gujarat and was due to return to the UK after her holiday. But heavy traffic in Ahmedabad's city centre delayed her journey to the airport, resulting in a missed check-in window.

'I was furious,' she said in the interview. 'We had left early, but the traffic just wouldn't move. When we reached the airport, I was barely ten minutes late. I begged the airline staff to let me through—I even told them I'd already checked in online. But they refused.'

That delay may have saved her life despite her anger and frustration at the time.

While standing outside the terminal, sipping tea with her family and trying to negotiate a refund with her travel agent, she received the news that the plane had crashed.

'I couldn't believe it,' she said. 'Just minutes earlier, I was fighting to get on that flight. Now I realise it was a blessing in disguise. It's nothing short of a miracle.'

Her boarding pass, confirmed by BBC News, placed her in seat 36G. Her presence on that flight had she boarded, would likely have meant death.

The Sole Survivor—Now One of Two

While Bhoomi avoided the disaster entirely, 40-year-old British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh lived through the unimaginable. Seated in 11A on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, he survived the devastating crash when the aircraft slammed into a medical college hostel just 30 seconds after take-off.

Ramesh, who was travelling with his brother Ajay, described the moment of impact from his hospital bed: 'When I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive. I unbuckled my seatbelt and crawled out through a broken emergency exit. I saw the air hostess and others... they didn't make it.'

Dazed and covered in blood, he was captured on mobile phone footage wandering away from the wreckage. He was the only passenger confirmed alive from inside the aircraft.

Ramesh had tried to locate his brother in the chaos, according to his cousin Hiren Kantilal, before being rushed to hospital. 'He told his father, "Don't worry about me. Just find Ajay,"' said Kantilal.

Sadly, Ajay is believed to be among the deceased.

Crash Details Still Emerging

The Air India flight took off from Ahmedabad Airport shortly after noon on Thursday. According to preliminary reports, it struggled to gain altitude. It crashed within half a minute into the grounds of the Ahmedabad Medical College, destroying the air and on the ground.

At least 241 passengers and 12 crew members died. A further eight casualties have been reported among residents and students in the building struck by the plane.

Among the deceased were 53 British nationals, including several families from London and Gloucester.

Investigations and Fallout

Authorities continue to sift through the wreckage in search of clues. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and later met Ramesh in hospital. Aviation analysts have pointed to the possibility of engine failure or structural issues, although nothing has been confirmed.

The tragedy has cast a renewed spotlight on Air India and Boeing, which manufactured the aircraft. It's the deadliest Indian aviation incident in over a decade, reigniting concerns about aircraft maintenance and air traffic safety in the region.