At least 15 dead as Indian COVID repatriation flight crashes on landing
At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured when an Air India Express passenger plane overshot the runway and broke into two after landing in the southern city of Calicut in heavy rain on Friday, officials said.
- Country:
- India
At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured when an Air India Express passenger plane overshot the runway and broke into two after landing in the southern city of Calicut in heavy rain on Friday, officials said. The Boeing-737 flight from Dubai was flying home Indians stranded overseas due to the coronavirus pandemic. There were 190 passengers and crew on board, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement. Among them were 10 infants.
Television footage showed rescue workers moving around the wreckage in pouring rain. The aircraft lay split into at least two chunks after he plane's fuselage sheared apart as it fell into a valley 30 feet below, authorities said. Media reports suggested that the plane skidded off a runway, crashing nose-first into the ground.
The Kerala state police chief said at least 15 people had been killed, with at least four passengers stuck the wreckage. The civil aviation ministry said in a statement there was no fire on board.
Local TV news channels showed passengers, some of them lying motionless on stretchers, brought into a hospital surrounded by health workers wearing masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Air India Express AXB1344, was a repatriation flight operated by the government to bring Indians home during international travel restrictions due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Millions of Indians work in the Gulf.
"Pained by the plane accident in Kozhikode" Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted referring to Calicut's new name. "My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest," he said.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- READ MORE ON:
- Calicut
- Air India Express
- Narendra Modi
- Indians
- Dubai
- Kerala
- COVID-19
ALSO READ
Time is not far when Assembly polls will be held in J&K and statehood will be restored: PM Narendra Modi at Udhampur rally
Please trust me, I will get rid of problems plaguing Jammu and Kashmir for last 60 years: PM Narendra Modi at Udhampur rally
After decades, election happening in Jammu and Kashmir without fear of terrorism and threat of cross-border firing: PM Narendra Modi.
Fulfilled promise of ending long sufferings of people of Jammu and Kashmir: PM Narendra Modi at Udhampur rally.
India in touch with Iran to secure release of 17 Indians onboard container ship seized by Iranian forces