Who Was Neerja Bhanot? Remembering Icon of Courage 37 Years After Plane Hijack
NDTV
Neerja Bhanot was on Pan Am Flight 73, which was hijacked in Karachi by four terrorists.
On a day when India is celebrating Teachers' Day, it is important to remember the sacrifice made by Neerja Bhanot, a flight purser, who was killed on September 5, 1986, during the hijack of Pan Am Flight 73. The extraordinary story of Ms Bhanot continues to inspire generations. Born on September 7, 1963, in Chandigarh, her life was tragically cut short at the age of 22 when hijackers seized the plane, which had landed in Karachi from Mumbai. Twenty people were killed in the incident.
Ms Bhanot joined Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and soon stood out as a model employee. Her dedication to her job and her ability to remain calm under pressure were evident to all who worked with her.
In 1986, she saved the lives of more than 350 passengers when four terrorists - Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain arRahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar - took the plane under their control after it made a stopover at Karachi airport. The flight was en route from Mumbai to New York when it was seized.
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