TMC leader Sagarika Ghose, who was among the passengers on a Srinagar-bound IndiGo flight from New Delhi that encountered severe turbulence, described the ordeal as a “near-death experience.”
A five-member delegation from the Trinamool Congress, consisting of Derek O’Brien, Nadimul Haque, Sagarika Ghose, Manas Bhunia, and Mamata Thakur, was on the flight, which was affected by inclement weather. The jolts prompted the pilot to report an “emergency” to air traffic control at Srinagar.
“It was a near-death experience. I thought my life was over. People were screaming, praying, and panicking,” Ghose said. “Hats off to the pilot who brought us through that. When we landed, we saw that the nose of the plane had been damaged,” she added. The delegation personally thanked the pilot upon landing.
The aircraft, carrying more than 200 passengers, landed safely in Srinagar. Videos circulating on social media captured the terrifying moments during the turbulence, showing panicked passengers praying as the aircraft swayed violently.
The TMC delegation is in Jammu and Kashmir until May 23 and is scheduled to visit shelling-hit areas of Poonch and Rajouri, in addition to Srinagar. The party stated that the visit aims to express solidarity with those affected by cross-border attacks and to offer condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.
Meanwhile, the IndiGo pilot is receiving widespread praise online from passengers on the turbulence-hit flight.
One passenger, recalling the harrowing experience, said, “Everything was going normally when suddenly an announcement came from the cockpit asking passengers to fasten their seat belts. I have never experienced anything like it—everyone on board was crying and praying for their safety.”
Turbulence, the bumpy ride experienced during flight, is caused by irregular airflow in the atmosphere. This can result from various factors, including wind shear, jet streams, thunderstorms, and air flowing over mountains.
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