‘Deeply distressed to hear about plane crash at Kozhikode’: President Kovind
The President said he had spoken to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and enquired about the rescue operations after the accident.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said he was deeply distressed to learn about the tragic plane accident at Kerala’s Kozhikode airport and his prayers were with the passengers, crew members and their kin.
The President said he had spoken to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and enquired about the rescue operations after the accident.
“Deeply distressed to hear about the tragic plane crash of Air India Express flight at Kozhikode, Kerala. Spoke to @KeralaGovernor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan and inquired about the situation. Thoughts and prayers with affected passengers, crew members and their families,” the President tweeted.
At least 19 people were killed and several others seriously injured when a Dubai-Calicut Air India Express flight with 191 passengers and crew on board overshot the runway at Kozhikode and fell into a gorge below, breaking into two portions, on Friday evening.
Both the pilots of the Air India Express flight were killed in the accident. Air India’s Captain Deepak Sathe who died in the crash was an ace fighter pilot.
The Air India Express flight AXB1344, B737 from Dubai to Calicut was part of the Vande Bharat Mission, meant to bring home stranded people from other countries amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The aircraft was about to land at the Karipur Airport in Kozhikode, when it overshot the runway, and broke into pieces. The incident took place amid very heavy rainfall and bad weather in the area.
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