'Scariest flight ever': Indian woman recounts ordeal after being stuck in Kuwait amid Iran-Israel conflict
Anindita Chatterjee, who was flying back to Mumbai from New York after a three-month stay in the United States, recounted the ordeal on Instagram, calling it the 'scariest experience' she has had on a flight.
'We flew 13 hours to Kuwait, had a short layover, and then boarded our connecting flight to Mumbai. But mid-air, things took a terrifying turn. Iran bombed Qatar, and we were flying through that very airspace. It was unreal and terrifying,' she wrote.
Shortly after takeoff, the flight reportedly turned around and returned to Kuwait as regional airspace was shut down amid fears of conflict escalation.
'The entire airspace was shut down, and no flights were taking off,' she added.
With her young daughter in tow, Ms Chatterjee was left stranded at Kuwait Airport for nearly 36 hours. 'While my family was relieved we were safe on the ground, the thought that we were in the sky when those missiles were being fired… I'm still shaken,' she said.
Chatterjee, who has travelled to 99 countries, called it her worst flight experience to date. Her video documenting the ordeal has since gone viral, with users in the comments section offering prayers and expressing relief that both mother and child are safe.
A user wrote, 'What a harrowing experience. Glad that you reached safely.'
Another user commented, 'I can't imagine how that felt. So sorry to all the passengers. Glad you guys are safe.'
The third user commented, 'Hope all is well now. Seriously what is happening around the world? We have a Europe trip planned in July but seriously not sure if we should continue with the plan or just cancel it. Too scared, too worried!"
There has been no official confirmation of the reported attack on Qatar, though tensions in the region between Iran and Israel have led to increased security measures and restricted air travel in several zones.
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