New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): Survivor of 2016 Brussels terror attack Nidhi Chaphekar said that people call her a victim, but she is a survivor.
Nidhi Chaphekar, a former air hostess with Jet Airways, gained international attention when a haunting photograph of her, bloodied and dazed, emerged from the aftermath of the Brussels airport bombing in March 2016. Despite sustaining severe injuries, including burns and shrapnel wounds, Chaphekar’s spirit remained unbroken.
In an interview with ANI, Nidhi Chaphekar talked about her story while mentioning about a book she has written titled ‘Unbroken.’
Further, she highlighted the part where she met External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Monday.
“When I met Minister Jaishankar today, I was late. So I just ran and I said, I’m really sorry. I folded my hands, and he said, it’s okay. And when I offered my book, and he looked at the cover of the book, and he said, ‘Unbroken’. What a name. And later, when I saw the tweet, I was like, I don’t know where I was. Top of the world,” Nidhi Chaphekar added.
Following this, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed admiration for Nidhi Chaphekar, a survivor of the 2016 Brussels terror attack, who has chronicled her harrowing moments in her book “Unbroken.”
The External Affairs Minister took to social media to highlight Chaphekar’s remarkable courage and resilience in the face of adversity.
“Glad to meet Nidhi Chaphekar, a terror attack survivor from the 2016 Brussels attack. Received her book: UNBROKEN. Admire the spirit and courage. The title of her book sums up her attitude,” said Jaishankar in a post on X.
During her interview while asking about her story she remarked, “Actually, I was to take a flight, and this wasn’t my flight. I was fighting for this flight for past 20-25 days. So I was to take a flight from Brussels to New York, that day was late. So I was running ahead of everyone. And the moment I reached the second level, you know, I saw a blast very far, but who can make out that this is a blast? And that too at the airport. So I thought, this is an emergency, let me go and help someone. And I was held back by somebody, and he said, where are you going? I said to help, and just this much. And, you know, another detonator was pressed by somebody who was very close to me.”
Further she added, “Most of them, you know, were not alive later or they have lost their limbs. And I know only this much that I flew like a football, and I landed onto the ground and I was unconscious.” She added, “But back of my mind, it was going, come on, you have to get up and inform.”
She shared her experiences that that she remembers everything that she was thinking how to stop her blood flow adding that “I was asking for help, you know, when the times were passing more and it was 3 hours by the time we reached hospital. But yes, we did got some medical aid,” she said to ANI.
“My son’s exams were going on at that particular time,” she said while mentioning the reason for being present at the exact moment.
While speaking to ANI she disclosed that the picture which was clicked, it was clicked by Ketevan Kardava, a photo journalist.
Later on she talked about her plans on her return to her aviation sector she replied, “I think now I would like to serve my country. I have some different plans. As I told Minister Jaishankar ji today.”
While speaking about her acadmics she said, I’ve been educated in army school. I was the first civilian, you know, to get admission in army school. I was the best NCC cadet I have also, you know, did my janpath, you know, Rajput parade. And on the March 26, 1993,I believe I headed for contingency. I was a bed shooter. I said I have all those qualities, you know, what needed to be a soldier, but if not a soldier. But definitely I can. I want to do something for the country.”
She concluded her interview by giving a message to the audience: Hatred cannot win. Love can always win, while referring to the current tensions going around the world.
“Just don’t give up hope. Be courageous, be resilient and do what your heart says,” she added.
The suicide bombings on March 22, 2016, at Brussels’ main airport and on the metro system killed 32 people and were claimed by the Islamic State group.
The attacks took place near the headquarters of both NATO and the EU and were part of a wave of attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in Europe (ISIS).
Hundreds of travellers and transport staff were maimed, and seven years on, many victims, relatives, and rescuers remain traumatized.
Later, the official death toll from the attacks rose to 35. (ANI)
