Air India IX-1344 flight skids off Karipur airport, 15 dead

AI Flight breaks in two at Calicut

Kochi : Air India flight AXB-1344 on its way from Dubai to Koshikode with 191 passengers on board, breaks in two at Kerala Karipur Airport (Calicut) while landing on Friday night. Initially, 15 dead reported including Pilot retired wing commander Deepak Sathe and co-pilot. Several passengers serious injured. Rescue operation are underway.

The Air India Bande Bharat Mission Air India (AI) express flight was reportedly carrying 174 passengers, 10 infants, two pilots and five cabin crew on board the aircraft.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted “Deeply anguished and distressed at the air accident in Kozhikode. The flight number AXB-1344 on its way from Dubai to Kozhikode with 191 persons on board, overshot runway in rainy conditions and went down 35 feet. into a slope before breaking up into two pieces.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted “pained by the accident in Kozhikode. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to Kerala CM Vijayan Pinarayi regarding the situation. Authorities are at the spot, providing all assistance to the affected”

However, the injured have been taken to hospitals near the airport which is in Malappuram. The incident happened around 7.30 p.m (IST).

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