Getting Onboard
Eventually, the 17-hour long hijacking finally finished. After opening fire on the passengers at 21:30 Pakistan Standard Time, the criminals quickly ran out of ammunition, and very few passengers were injured by the bullets. This allowed them to flee the aircraft through the emergency exits. It wasn't long after this initial escape that authorities stormed the aircraft and seized the hijackers.
The Aftermath
Of the 381 passengers, 43 were injured or killed aboard the flight, including Neerja. Five hijackers were collected from the aircraft and sentenced to life in prison. The head hijackers admitted to being a member of the terrorist group Abu Nidal Organization. Neerja's memory lives on in two awards set up by her family that are given to outstanding Indian women and heroic flight attendants annually.
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