As part of the Vande Bharat mission, an Air India flight from Dubai and Calicut skid off the runway while it was landing in Kerala’s Kozhikode airport. The flight had a total of 191 passengers, including two pilots.There were 174 general passengers, 10 infants and five cabin crew members.
Heavy rains in Kerala are being cited as the primary reason for the accident to take place. The flight split into two pieces while landing, with debris flying all over the place. The flight is also said to have fallen into a 30 feet deep gorge while landing, which is another reason for the accident. Thankfully, the flight did not catch fire, making things a lot better. The incident took place during heavy rainfall, at around 7:40 PM.
Both the pilots are said to have been killed in the accident, along with 5 other fatalities. At least 50 passengers have been injured and have been admitted in the nearest hospital. It is feared that 50 more passengers are still stuck in the flight debris, especially following the landslide that took place in the hilly Idukki district, during the early hours of Friday. Nearly 15 people had died because of this landslide. Several politicians have expressed their distress over the incident.
The flight is said to have made 2 attempts to land, by circling the airport, before the fateful landing. After overshooting the runway, the disastrous incident took place.
Ambulances and other services have reached the site and are helping out with the situation. Further details are awaited about the same.
#BREAKING : #AirIndiaExpress IX1344 flight from #Dubai to #Calicut with 191 passengers crashes after overshooting the runway in #Kozhikode due to heavy rains..
Fire tenders , ambulances rushed to the spot. More details awaited.. pic.twitter.com/D6qbE3OX0W
— TeluguBulletin.com (@TeluguBulletin) August 7, 2020