Neerja Bhanot, an air hostess on Pan Am Flight 73, tragically died on September 5, 1986, during a hijacking. The flight, en route from Mumbai to New York with 379 people on board, was taken over by four armed terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan. Neerja displayed extraordinary bravery by hiding the American passengers’ passports to prevent their identification and attempted to calm the passengers. When the opportunity arose, she opened the emergency door and helped evacuate the passengers despite the terrorists firing. Although over 100 people were injured and 18-19 died, approximately 360 passengers survived. Neerja was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for her courage, becoming the youngest woman to receive this honor. The American media honored her as the “Heroine of Hijack” for her heroism.
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