A five-member delegation of Trinamool Congress comprising Derek O’Brien, Nadimul Haque, Sagarika Ghose, Manas Bhunia, and Mamata Thakur, was on the Srinagar-bound flight that experienced turbulence due to 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,” Ms Ghose said.
“Hats off to the pilot who brought us through that. When we landed we saw the nose of the plane had blown up,” she said, adding, the delegation thanked the pilot after the landing.
The aircraft with 200 people onboard landed safely in Srinagar.
Videos of the moments of turbulence emerged on social media showing panicked passengers praying for their lives as the plane swayed.
The TMC delegation will be in Jammu and Kashmir till May 23 and visit Poonch and Rajouri, besides Srinagar.
The party has said the delegation is there to express solidarity with the people affected by cross-border attacks, and share the grief of the families who have lost their loved ones.
IndiGo’s Statement
In a statement, the airline said: “IndiGo flight 6E 2142 operating from Delhi to Srinagar encountered sudden hailstorm en route. The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar.”
It added: “The airport team attended to the customers after arrival of aircraft prioritizing their wellbeing and comfort. The aircraft will be released post necessary inspection and maintenance.” (PTI)
