40-year-old Nidhi Chaphekar's picture in her yellow jacket and black trousers and shoe in only one leg has gone viral on social media and became the worldwide symbol of the co-ordinated terror attack – two bombs in Brussels Airport at Zaventem and one at the Maalbeek Metro station close to the EU headquarters and European Parliament. Nidhi's photo was taken soon after the attack by photo journalist Georgian Public Broadcaster network and has become the symbolic photo. The Twitter hashtag #PrayforNidhi started trending soon after the picture was shared.
The picture shows a shocked and suffering Nidhi sitting on a bench with severe leg injuries and burns. The bomb blast shredded Nidhi's yellow jacket and blew away one of her shoes. The mother-of-two was taken to hospital to be treated for her severe burns and fractured foot. Initially there were reports that Nidhi is in coma. But her employer Jet Airways has confirmed that Nidhi is 'out of danger' and in stable condition, recovering in a Brussels hospital.
Soon after the news of Nidhi's injuries became known, her husband rushed to be by her side in Brussels. He travelled from Mumbai to Paris and then to Brussels on road from Paris.
Alongside Nidhi, another Jet Airways employee Amit was injured in the Brussels attack. "Our colleagues Nidhi and Amit are recovering well. We look forward to welcome them home soon," tweeted Jet Airways on its official Twitter handle.
So far, 31 victims and three suicide bombers were killed in the attack with 300 people suffering injuries because of the three terror attacks in Brussels. 11 of those victims died at the Airport attack and 20 died in the Metro attack. The Belgium government declared three days of national mourning for the 'deadliest terror attack' and placed the country in highest terror alert. World leaders condemned the incident and pledged support to Belgium.
The investigators have named two of the suicide bombers who carried out attacks in Brussels as brothers Khalid and Brahim el-Bakraoui, both Belgian nationals.
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