A routine journey aboard an Air India flight took an alarming turn for Charu Tomar, a passenger en route to San Francisco from New Delhi. In a distressing incident, Tomar suffered severe burns when a flight attendant accidentally spilled scalding hot water on her leg. Her subsequent account of the harrowing experience on X (formerly known as Twitter) shed light on a concerning lack of training and professionalism among airline staff when dealing with emergencies.
Air India Passenger Endures Burn Injury
Air India delivered distressing experience that took a harrowing turn when flight attendant spilled hot water on my leg The crew initially retreated from the scene Incident left me with physical trauma emotionally shattered rendering me bedridden @airindia
@MoCA_Gol @JM_Scindia— Charu Tomar (@CharuTomar_19) September 27, 2023
In a distressing incident aboard an Air India flight bound for San Francisco, Charu Tomar, a passenger travelling with her four-year-old son and 83-year-old mother-in-law, experienced a traumatic ordeal. As per reports from Hindustan Times, the incident occurred when a flight attendant accidentally spilled scalding hot water on her right leg, resulting in excruciating pain. In her X post, Tomar expressed her shock and frustration, highlighting the lack of training and professionalism displayed by the airline staff in handling the situation.
Tomar’s distressing experience continued as the crew members initially retreated from the situation, leaving her in agony. She pleaded for immediate assistance and cooling agents for her burn. However, she was met with a slow response and inadequate efforts from the crew.
After desperately calling for help, a physician on board eventually offered medical assistance and diagnosed her with a second-degree burn. However, Tomar’s ordeal did not end there. The flight lacked essential medical supplies, and she endured severe pain for nearly two hours without access to pain medication or proper first aid.
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Airline Apologizes For In-Flight Accident
Dear Ms. Tomar, we deeply regret to learn of your experience and hope that you are doing better. We want to emphasize that our utmost priority is to provide you with the necessary assistance. Please DM us the details for us to look into it.
— Air India (@airindia) September 27, 2023
Upon landing in San Francisco, Tomar felt neglected. She shared that the crew appeared more focused on preparing for landing than attending to her ongoing distress. Fortunately, a team of paramedics finally evacuated her for further medical attention. The situation was further exacerbated by the lack of assistance provided to Tomar’s family members. Unfortunately, they were left alone and uninformed about the incident’s developments.
Air India responded to the incident with an apology on X and an acknowledgement of the seriousness of the matter. The airline explained that the crew had administered first aid and called for a doctor on board, who attended to Tomar. A team of paramedics was dispatched upon arrival in San Francisco. The airline assured Tomar of further assistance, including medical care.
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This incident underscores the importance of proper training and preparedness among airline staff. It is essential to handle medical emergencies and passenger safety effectively.
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