Japan envoy Suzuki condoles death of victims in Kozhikode plane crash & Idukki landslide

Ambassador of Japan to India Satoshi Suzuki on Saturday expressed sorrow over the Air India Express plane accident in Kozhikode and the landslide in Kerala's Idukki district. Both the unfortunate incidents occurred in the southern State on Friday claiming many lives. Suzuki conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and extended good wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.

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The tragic Kozhikode Air India plane crash

The Air India Express flight IX-1134 from Dubai met with an accident at Kozhikode, Kerala on Friday. The Boeing 737 aircraft which was deployed under the Vande Bharat Mission overshot the runway at the Kozhikode airport at 7:41 pm and nosedived into the valley, splitting into two pieces.

The airlines in a press release informed that there were 184 passengers and six crew members on board. So far, the casualty figure has risen to 18, including the two pilots Capt. DV Sathe and First Officer Capt. Akhilesh Kumar, while the four crew members are safe and the injured are being treated at hospitals in Malappuram and Kozhikode. Youngest to succumb is a one-year-old boy who was undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital after the plane crash.

A senior investigator from DGCA informed that the Air India Express pilots, who died in the Kozhikode crash, tried to land the plane twice before the unfortunate crash landing at the tabletop runway. While speaking to ANI, an official said that the pilots aborted two landing due to tailwind.

Post the accident, the Kozhikode airport has been closed down temporarily and all incoming flights have been diverted to Kannur or Cochin international airports. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has reached Kozhikode on Saturday morning to evaluate the situation. 

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Landslide in Idukki district

On the same day, another tragic incident occurred in Kerala's Idukki district. At least 15 people have been killed after heavy rain caused a landslide in Kerala's Idukki district, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday. As per reports, at least 30 settlements home to nearly 78 people have been buried under the debris. The police, a 50-member special fire force along with a National Disaster Response Force unit stationed in Idukki district have jointly mounted rescue and relief operations amid inclement weather.

CM also announced ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh for the kin of those who lost their lives due to the landslide in Rajamalai, Idukki. He added that the state government would bear the treatment cost of those injured in the landslide. 

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