baawri: Neerja is the courageous story of a 23 year old girl,...

baawri:

Neerja is the courageous story of a 23 year old girl, Neerja Bhanot - an air hostess - who lost her life while saving 359 passengers from terrorists on board the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 on 5th September 1986. Neerja alerted the cockpit crew about the hijack, but as the plane was on the tarmac, the three-member American cockpit crew of pilot, co-pilot and the flight engineer fled from the aircraft. Neerja, being the most senior cabin crew member on board, took charge. The terrorists then instructed her to collect the passports of all the passengers so that they could identify the Americans. But Neerja and the other attendants under her charge hid the passports of the 41 Americans on board. After 17 hours, the hijackers opened fire and set off explosives. Neerja opened the emergency door and helped a number of passengers escape. She could have been the first to jump out when she opened the door, but she decided not to, and was shot while shielding three children from a hail of bullets. She met a heroic death two days before her 23rd birthday. Known to the world as the only woman recipient of Ashok Chakra, India’s highest civilian award for bravery, she was fondly referred to as ‘Lado’ in her family.

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