‘Feel like I’ve been reborn': Kashmir startup co-founder recalls Delhi-Srinagar Indigo flight turbulence

Delhi Srinagar Indigo flight Turbulence: An Indigo flight from Delhi to Srinagar encountered sudden hailstorm leading to severe turbulence on 21 May, prompting the pilot to report the ‘emergency’ to air traffic control at Srinagar.

The flight carrying more than 220 people, however, later landed safely at 6:30 pm at Srinagar airport but not before leaving the passengers in panic as it navigated the massive mid-air turbulence.

Videos from inside the plane, in which passengers can be heard screaming and praying for their safety, have gone viral on social media platforms.

One of the passengers on board the flight was Sheikh Samiullah, a startup co-founder from Srinagar.

Grateful to the pilot

“Everything seemed normal, until the pilot suddenly announced a rough patch ahead and asked us to fasten our seatbelts. I’m a frequent flyer, but I’ve never experienced turbulence like this. It was terrifying. I’m truly grateful to the pilot for landing us safely,” Samiullah, the co-founder of FastBeetle, a logistics tech platform, told news agency PTI.

Co-founded in 2019 by Samiullah and his friend Abid Rashid Lone, FastBeetle a Kashmir-based tech start-up focused on last-mile logistics. In 2021, FastBeetle became Kashmir’s first start-up to raise $100,000 in a pre-Series A funding round.

'Heart’s still racing, but I feel like I’ve been reborn. Grateful to Allah," he said later in a post on X.

The airline said the flight from the national capital to Srinagar encountered sudden hailstorm and the plane landed safely at the Srinagar airport.

"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," the airline said in a statement.

Not enough details were available about the extent of damage to the plane due to the hailstorm but visuals on social media indicated damage to the aircraft’s nose.

“I was in the plane and am heading back home from Srinagar. It was a near death experience.The nose of the plane is damaged...There was panic and people were screaming. Everyone was scared,” one Owais Maqbool Hakeem, who was on board the flight, said in a post on X.

Several domestic and international flights to Delhi airport from various airports have been halted or diverted due to weather conditions in Delhi, ANI reported quoting airport sources.

IndiGo and Air India have also issued advisories for passengers asking them to check the status of flights.

“Heavy rain and thunderstorm in #Delhi, #Chandigarh and #Kolkata is impacting flights. We understand weather delays are never easy, we sincerely appreciate your patience. Do check your flight status before heading to the airport,” said IndiGo in a post on X.

(With inputs from agencies)