An Air India Express plane with 190 people on board from Dubai has crashed at an airport in the southern state of Kerala, killing at least 17 people, officials say. The flight was part of the Vande Bharat programme that has been bringing back Indians from abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The plane skidded off the runway and broke in two while landing at Kerala’s Kozhikode on Friday amid heavy rain in the area around 7.40 pm. Among those killed were the two pilots of Flight IX-1344
There were 174 passengers, 10 Infants, two pilots and four cabin crew members on board the aircraft.
According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the aircraft circled the airport several times and made two attempts to land.
Civil Aviation Minster Hardeep Singh Puri said the plane overshot the runway in rainy conditions. He said, “Deeply anguished and distressed at the air accident in Kozhikode. The Air India Express flight number AXB-1344 on its way from Dubai to Kozhikode with 191 persons on board, overshot the runway in rainy conditions & went down 35 ft. into a slope before breaking up into two pieces. We are in touch with local authorities…Relief teams from Air India & AAI are being immediately dispatched from Delhi & Mumbai. All efforts being made to help passengers. A formal enquiry will be conducted by AAIB.”
We are in touch with local authorities. State police have reported 11 deaths. Relief teams from Air India & AAI are being immediately dispatched from Delhi & Mumbai. All efforts being made to help passengers.
A formal enquiry will be conducted by AAIB.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 7, 2020
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter said that a formal inquiry will be conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). He said, “Two investigation teams of professionals from Air India, AAI and AAIB will leave for Kozhikode at 02.00 hrs & 05.00 hrs. Everyone has now been rescued from the aircraft. Rescue operations are now complete. Injured being treated at various city hospitals.” The relief teams from Air India and AAI will go from Delhi and Mumbai.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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.”
The rescue operation at the crash site has now been completed and survivors have been taken to hospitals in Calicut and Malappuram.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted:
Update on Kozhikode #crash
Evacuation completed.
Malappuram collector has informed that the rescue operations at the site have been completed.
Air india flight AXB1344 (@DXB to CCJ) had 190 passengers.
They all have been transferred to hospitals in Malappuram and Kozhikode.
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) August 7, 2020
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed shock over the tragic incident and tweeted, “Distressed to learn about the tragic accident of Air India Express aircraft in Kozhikode, Kerala. Have instructed NDRF to reach the site at the earliest and assist with the rescue operations.”
The Kozhikode airport, carved on top of a hill, is one of Kerala’s most prominent international terminals and handles a significant number of flights from abroad.