Air India plane crash: Civil Aviation Min reveals details of accident, announces inquiry

On Friday, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri expressed deep anguish at the tragic accident of the Air India Express flight from Dubai to Kozhikode. Mentioning that there were 190 persons on board, he elaborated that the plane overshot the runway in rainy conditions. He added that it went down 35 feet into a slope before breaking into pieces. 

Puri observed that the Ministry of Civil Aviation was in touch with the local authorities. He stated that relief teams from Air India and Airports Authority of India are being immediately dispatched from Delhi and Mumbai. Stressing that all efforts are being made to help the passengers, he announced that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau would conduct a formal inquiry.

Currently, an urgent meeting of the Civil Aviation Ministry is underway at the Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan. DGCA Director-General, officials of the ministry, Airport Authority of India and Air India Express are participating in the meeting. 

Read: Kozhikode Air India Crash LIVE Updates: Plane With 190 Onboard Skids Off Runway, 11 Dead

The Air India Express plane crash

As per a statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the visibility was 2000 metres at the time of landing. There were 190 persons on board including two pilots and 5 cabin crew. Thankfully, no fire was reported. Talking to ANI, MoS MEA V Muraleedharan revealed that the pilot could not land in the first attempt. While the plane landed on the second attempt, it was a hard landing leading to the accident.

Following this incident at the Kozhikode International Airport in Karipur, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan instructed the Police and Fire Force to take urgent action. He also directed the officials to make necessary arrangements for rescue and medical support. The teams of the National Disaster Response Force are being rushed to the airport in Karipur. Minister AC Moideen will lead the rescue efforts at the spot.

Speaking to the Kerala CM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his pain over the plane crash and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured persons. Moreover, he promised that the Central government would provide all possible assistance. Vijayan assured that all mechanisms of the state government shall be used to deal with the emergency. Meanwhile, the Malappuram SP said that 14 persons had died while over 123 others are seriously injured. 

Read: Air India Kozhikode Crash: All Helpline Numbers Here