Air India crash Live Updates: Flight with 191 people skids off runway in Kerala, 14 dead, many injured
Kozhikode: An Air India Express plane with 191 people on board from Dubai skidded off the runway and broke in two while landing at Kerala’s Kozhikode on Friday amid heavy rain.
Most on board have been evacuated, at least 14 passenger’s dead including pilot and at least 50 injured, including 15 in serious condition, have been taken to hospital, authorities said. There were 174 passengers, 10 Infants, two pilots and five cabin crew members on board the aircraft.
The flight was part of the Vande Bharat programme that has been bringing back Indians from abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic. The incident took place amid very heavy rainfall in the area around 7:40 pm. Emergency services personnel were seen working in the dark and spraying the wreckage with water.
According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the aircraft circled the airport several times and made two attempts to land. The Kozhikode airport is one of Kerala’s most prominent international terminals and handles a significant number of flights from abroad, Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor told media.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, “Distressed to learn about the tragic accident of Air India Express aircraft in Kozhikode, Kerala. Have instructed NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) to reach the site at the earliest and assist with the rescue operations.”
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted:
Comments are closed.