Mangalore: A Mangalore bound Air India Express flight coming in from Dubai with 166 people on board crashed early on Saturday killing 158 people. The Air India Express IX-812, operated by a Boeing 737-800, had 160 passengers and six crew members on board overshot the touchdown point on the Mangalore airport runway by 2000 feet on Saturday at 6:30 AM while attempting to land.
Air India confirmed that there were 160 passengers and six crew members on board. There were 137 adults, 19 children and four infants among the passengers. Earlier reports claimed that there were 173 people on board.
Air India Director Anup Srivastava said that the eight people rescued have been shifted to local hospitals in Mangalore.
"Rescue teams have been arranged. IC-171 has been sent from Mumbai to Mangalore," said Srivastava.
Declining to comment on what would have caused the plane to overshoot the runway and crash Srivastava said, "We have a regulation authority, we will look into what went wrong with a help of a probe. It is not prudent on my part to comment before investigation."
Airport Authorities of India issued a press release saying the plane crashed after overshoot the runway.
"The aircraft was following ILS Approach for landing on Runway 24 and the pilot reported to ATC that it is established on ILS approach at about 10 miles from touch down. Landing clearance was given at about four miles from touch down. Aircraft touched down the Runway 24 beyond the touch down zone, overshot the runway and went in the valley beyond the runway," the release said
According to eyewitness account the plane crashed into a forested area and burst into flames after it overshot the runway while attempting to land. Most of the passengers on the flight were from Kerala.
"Around 160 people are feared dead in the crash. Only six to seven might have survived," Karnataka Home Minister VS Acharya told CNN-IBN.
Mangalore Helpline Numbers: 0824-2220422, 0824-2220424
Delhi Helpline Numbers: 011-25656196, 011-25603101
Air India Express Dubai Airport Telephone Numbers: 00971-4-2165828/00971-4-2165829
Bangalore Helpline Numbers: 080-66785172/ 080-22273310.
Mumbai Helpline Numbers: 022 2279 6161.
Chennai Helpline Numbers: 044-22561365, 044-22560894
Police officials say that rescue and relief operations are on and the survivors have been admitted to the hospitals.
"Some people have been shifted to hospitals. Although if they will survive is unsure. They are being treated. This is a highly unfortunate event. The police force, bomb squad, fire force, KSRP and all the hospitals are working unitedly to help out in this situation. We are doing the best we can," said Karnataka Western Range Inspector General of Police Gopal B Hosur.
The list of survivors: Moin Kutty, Krishnan, Omar Farooq, Abdul Sattar, Dr Sabrina Haq, Pardeep.
The firefighters have reached the spot and efforts are on to rescue the survivors. It is also learnt that because of the hilly terrain, the firefighters could not reach the accident site immediately. Twenty-five ambulances have also been rushed to the spot.
The Central Industrial Security Force has sent 150 personnel to Mangalore to help in the relief and rescue operations.
Initial investigations reveal that the plane landed about 2000 feet away from the touch down point on the runway. The total length of the runway at Mangalore airport is 8038 feet. The pilot was a Serbian expatriate Captain Zlatko Glusica, while the co-pilot was SS Ahluwalia. Glusica (55) had 10,000 years of flying experience, an official said. Both the pilots were based in Mangalore.
ATC sources say there was no distress signal from the pilot of the plane.
The entire area around Kenjar village near the crash site and the airport has been cordoned off.
Sources in Air India tell CNN-IBN that the length of the runway is comparatively small but the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained but the weather factor cannot be ruled out.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered an inquiry into the crash. The Mangalore-Dubai route is a heavy density route.
The airport is at Bajpe, which is about 30 km from Mangalore. It is situated in a hilly area and is considered one of the most difficult airports to take off and land. The area has also been experiencing heavy rains for the last two days due to Cyclone Laila.
