Nidhi Chaphekar, the Indian air crew member who became the face of the Brussels airport bombings’ survivors, after a photo of her sitting dazed and covered in soot went viral, woke up after a month-long coma, on 26 April.
The 42-year-old stewardess arrived at Brussels airport and was preparing to meet with colleagues from Jet Airways Mumbai for flight number 9W228.
At around 8:00am, witnesses say they heard shots in the departure hall and someone shouted in Arabic before two explosions erupted inside the airport.
Moments after bombs went off, Ketevan Kardava managed to take a picture of Chapekar showing the immediate aftermath of the massacre.
Nidhi’s image, where she is pictured sitting stupefied on a bench with dust all over her hair and face, has been shared by millions across the globe while the hashtag #PrayForNidhi trends on social media.
Nidhi Chaphekar suffered burns on 15 per cent of her body, a fractured foot. She was hospitalised and kept in a medically induced coma for 25 days.
Once the air hostess woke in the Grande Hospital de Charleroi she was met by her husband, Rupesh, who sitting by her side.
“She opened her eyes, looked up at me and just smiled. I assured her that everything would be fine now,” he told Mail Online.
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