Air India plane crash: Gautam Gambhir, Hardik Pandya give condolences to victim's families

Tragedy struck Air India's Dubai-Kozhikode flight on Friday after it skid off Runway 10 of Kerala's Karipur Airport, resulting in a crash landing. The Boeing 737 was repatriating 184 Indians, who were stranded abroad by the COVID-19 pandemic. So the far, the death toll has risen to 18, with more than 40 reported to be critically injured. 

Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir and others react to tragic Air India plane crash

A host of Indian cricketers have taken to social media, reacting to the unfortunate accident and sending their condolences to the families of the deceased. Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli, opener Rohit Sharma, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya offered their prayers for the victims:

 

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Former cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan and VVS Laxman also offered their condolences:

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Air India plane crash updates

The Boeing 737 had a total of 190 people on board, which comprised of the aforementioned 184 passengers (including 10 infants) and six crew members. The flight landed at the airport at around 7.40 PM IST amid heavy rainfall and waterlogged runway. The two pilots, who were both killed in the accident, twice tried to land the flight before the unfortunate crash landing at the tabletop runway. According to a statement from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), both attempts were aborted due to tailwind. An airline spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft overshot the runway leading to the crash. The aircraft went down 35 feet into a slope before breaking up into two pieces.

On Saturday, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri confirmed that the death toll had increased to 18. Puri further added that 127 people are in hospitals and rest have been discharged.

Air India Express Employees Union released an official statement that read: "Heartfelt condolences and prayers to our dear departed soul Capt. DV Sathe and First Officer Capt. Akhilesh Kumar of our flight IX-1344. Their loss has deeply saddened crew fraternity. They shall really be missed. May God Almighty, give them peace and ease the pain of their family and friends. We extend our deepest sympathies to pax who lost lives on Air India Express flight  IX-1344 returning from Dubai. This is to inform you that the cabin crew received some injuries and are under treatment in Kozhikode hospital."

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(Image Credits: Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja Twitter Handles)