Around 160 people were feared killed when an Air India Express airplane carrying 160 passengers and 6 crew members went out of control and over-ran the runway as it was about to land in Mangalore, in southern India.
According to sources, eight passengers have survived the crash and have been taken to local hospitals in Mangalore for treatment. Images of the crashed aircraft, which is a Boeing 737-800, were flashed on local channels showing the battered body of the aircraft with smoke coming out from the fuselage.
The flight was arriving from Dubai, which is a place where many Indians work. After the crash, the aircraft is reported to have come to a halt in an area of thick vegetation. Fire fighters and rescue workers were rushed to the site of the crash. However, they had to battle through the difficult terrain to reach the crash site, as the airport is located on a plateau which is surrounded on the sides by hills and 19 miles away from the main Mangalore city.
Chances of more people surviving were said to be very bleak as most of the plane’s body has been badly burnt. Also the smoke from the site was adding to the problems of the rescue workers.
This is one of the biggest crashes in recent Indian history after the 1996 mid-air clash between a Saudi aircraft and cargo plane from Kazakhstan near the capital New Delhi had lead to 349 casualties. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed grief on the news and sent his condolences to the families of the passengers and promised compensation.
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