On 7th August evening an Air India Express plane from Dubai skidded off the runway while it tried to land for the second time at Kerala's Kozhikode International airport. The aircraft fell 35 feet from the hilltop runway.The mishap took place at about 7.10 pm and the aircraft broke into two parts. Rajeev Jain, Additional DG Media, Civil Aviation Ministry said, “No fire was reported at the time of landing. Rescue operations are on and passengers are being taken to hospital." A total of 191 people were on board. 17 people have died but the number may increase. 112 have been injured and many are still stuck inside the debris. Pilot Deepak Vasant Sathe & co-pilot are dead. The cockpit and the front door of the flight were completely damaged due to the impact.

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. The flight was part of the Vande Bharat programme that has been bringing back Indians from abroad during the coronavirus pandemic. Fire engines and ambulances rushed to the spot. Emergency services personnel were seen working in the dark and spraying the wreckage with water. It is believed that heavy rains in Kerala may be one of the reasons for the mishap. Local MLA told reporters that the aircraft fell 35 feet from the hilltop runway. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted, “I have instructed Police and Fire Force to take urgent action in the wake of the plane crash at the Kozhikode International airport. I have also directed the officials to make necessary arrangements for rescue and medical support.” PM Narendra Modi spoke to the Kerala CM offering support and offered condolences to the families of the deceased. There has been heavy rainfall throughout the day in Kerala because of which there were landslides.

Tags

• Plane
• crash
• Kerala
• Kozhikode
• Air
• India
• Express

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