An Air India Express Boeing 737, en route from Dubai, carrying 190 people crashed at Kerala’s Kozhikode airport on Friday night. The flight which was bringing home many who lost jobs, stranded in Dubai skidded off the runway in rain and broke in two after landing at the airport.
While 18 people, including two pilots, have lost their lives 127 people are at hospitals. According to the officials involved in the rescue operations, 16 of the patients undergoing treatment are in critical condition.
Two special relief flights have been arranged from Delhi and one from Mumbai for rendering humanitarian assistance to all the passengers and the family members. The flight from Dubai to Karipur airport in Malappuram, Kerala, was only 30 feet above the ground when it overshot the tabletop runway and came crashing down to the airport.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the accident. He also spoke with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in this regard. “Pained by the plane accident in Kozhikode. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest,” he tweeted
Pained by the plane accident in Kozhikode. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Kerala CM @vijayanpinarayi Ji regarding the situation. Authorities are at the spot, providing all assistance to the affected.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2020
In a shocking revelation, it was learnt that Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a member of a safety advisory committee has warned that the airport is unsafe 9 years ago.