Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 22: Exactly nine years back on this day, on May 22, 2010, the city witnessed an Air India Express flight 812 from Dubai to the city crashing when landing at the airport here. The said Boeing 737-800 passenger jet had overshot the runway and broken into pieces, killing 158 passengers and crew members including women and children coming home to spend holidays in the bargain. Most of the bodies were charred and identities were established in many cases on the basis of clothes, etc. However, a few bodies could not be identified and hence funeral was performed for them together.

Eight passengers, Pradeep (28) from Tannirbavi, Muhammed Usman (49) from Hampankatta here, Jewel D'Souza (24) from Vamanjoor, Mahin Kutty (49) from Kannur Tambil, Krishnan (37) from Uduma Kulikunnu in Kasargod, Ummer Farooq (26) from Ullal, Abdulla (37), a resident of Samethadka, Puttur, and Sabreena (23) from Bangladesh, who was a student of KMC here, had miraculously escaped from the jaws of death. Out of them, Sabreena's nature of injuries were very serious while others had escaped with minor injuries.

There had also been a few instances of thieves making hay and stealing gold, valuables etc by taking advantage of the volatile situation. A few of them were later nabbed.

Later, investigation had established that the catastrophe occurred because of the neglect shown by the captain of the flight to suggestions made by the co-pilot.

It is learnt that case filed by a number of passengers families demanding increased compensation is still before the Supreme Court. Those who survived were disbursed with the compensation amount within a couple of years. Several passengers accepted the compensation offered by the authorities.

A park has come up in memory of the deceased passengers of the flight, on Panambur - Tannirbavi road by the efforts of the district administration, Airports Authority of India and New Mangalore Port Trust. Tributes were paid to the victims of the air crash at the memorial and park on Wednesday, May 22.

Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil, Dr R Selvamani, CEO, zilla panchayat, Hezel Conseco, PA to airport director, Dr Murali Manohar, president, IMA, Mangaluru Chapter, officials of Air India and others paid floral tribute to the departed souls.

Expressing his condolences, Sasikanth Senthil said, “It was a massive catastrophe in the form of plane crash. The accident claimed many lives who were the bread earners of the family. We cannot fill the void left in the families through money or words of condolence. But it is the administration’s duty to look at their condition and give compensation. Hope the court procedures will end soon and the families of the deceased will receive the right compensation. We always stand with the victims and try our best to condole them in the forms of legal affairs.

“Today I extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. I pray for the departed souls,” he said.

Even though many prefer to forget this accident, the families of the deceased passengers and the survivors find it impossible to do so. Many recollect that view of the plane that had almost landed, having moved ahead, hitting two polls of the air traffic control and getting shredded into pieces and turning into a fireball after cutting power cables and diving down 150 metres at Kenjar next to the airport.