An Air India Express Flight No IX 1344, flying from Dubai to Calicut on a repatriation mission, skidded off the runway. Rescue operations are ongoing and passengers are being taken to hospital according to Indian Civil aviation ministry.
“The aircraft Air India Express flight IX 1344 was a B-737, overshot runway at Kozhikode at 19:41 on Friday with 174 passengers, 10 Infants, 2 Pilots and 5 cabin Crew on board,” according to the statement from Air India. “There was no fire reported at the time of landing.”
At least 17 persons, including the pilot and co-pilot have been killed in the incident according to The Indian Express.
In a statement, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the “aircraft skidded off the runway, crashed into a wall and then fell into a valley, splitting into two.”
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On 22 May 2010 Air India Express flight IX 812 crashed at Mangaluru International Airport after it fell off the cliff at the end of the runway and burst into flames, killing 158 of the 166 people on board.
#WATCH Kerala: Dubai-Kozhikode Air India flight (IX-1344) with 190 people onboard skidded during landing at Karipur Airport today. (Video source: Karipur Airport official) pic.twitter.com/aX90CYve90
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2020
Indian Defence minister Rajnath Singh in a tweet wrote
Devastating news from Kozhikode, Kerala. I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to an accident carrying several passengers on Air India flight.
In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.
— Rajnath Singh (मोदी का परिवार) (@rajnathsingh) August 7, 2020
Written by;
Ifunanya Ikueze
