A Mangalore-bound Air India Express plane overshot the runway at Bajpe Airport in Mangalore at 6.30 am this morning. At least 160 passengers are feared dead. Initial reports say six people have survived the mishap. All the injured were taken to government hospitals.The Boeing-737, IX 812 coming from Dubai burst into flames soon after it overshot the runway while landing at the airport, said eye witnesses. The plane, manned by a Russian expat pilot reportedly landed 2000 feet from touchdown point.
Rescue operations at the site are almost over and there are no chances of any more survivors. Rescue operators who have braved bad weather and a hilly terrain said, most of the bodies were charred beyond recognition making it difficult to identify the dead.
Abdul Putter, one of the survivors of this tragedy, lives to tell the gory tale. Reports say, another passenger, Pradeep, a technician who works in Dubai, jumped out of the plane and helped save two others. In his account to a TV channel, Pradeep said, "Everything was normal till touchdown. Then the plane started shaking and before long, it burst into flames and broke into two. I jumped into a ditch. The local villagers helped us a lot, till the ambulance came in about 15 minutes. I can't believe I'm still alive."
Aviation experts say that landing an aircraft in the Table Top airport in Mangalore requires special skills. The Boeing 737 is equipped with enough gadgets for a safe landing, so speculation is that human error maybe the cause of the accident. Experts also argue that if the visibility was poor, the pilot could have taken the aircraft up again and hovered around the airport till the visibility improved. But since the blackbox hasn't yet been recovered, the exact cause of the crash remains unknown.
Helpline numbers are: 01125656196,01125603101, Mangalore: 0824-2220424, KMC hospital, Mangalore: 2444777, Air India Dubai airport numbers: 00971-4-2165828/29
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