Kozhikode Plane Crash: Kerala CM declares solatium for victims, free treatment for injured

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of each passenger who died in the Air India Express crash that took place at the Karipur International Airport on Friday. The announcement was made after the CM visited the crash site at the airport and the injured at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital early on Saturday.

Apart from the solatium for the victims, the Kerala Government would also bear the treatment expenses of all those injured in the incident irrespective of the hospitals they are in. 

Offering his condolences, Vijayan said, "The Civil Aviation Ministry and other Central Government agencies are expected to announce compensation for the air passengers. If any further assistance is required, the State Government will take an appropriate decision at that time to support them to get back to a normal life.

However, the immediate task now is to ensure the best possible treatment for the survivors of the accident. The District Authority is coordinating the treatment of those rescued who are now in 16 hospitals across Kozhikode and Malappuram Districts.”

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Death toll 18

Of the 190 people on board the ill-fated plane, there were 184 passengers and six crew members. Of the 18 dead so far, 14 are adults (seven males and females each) and four are children. Both the Pilot and the Co-Pilot are among those dead. At present, 149 passengers are hospitalised, of them 23 with serious injuries. Till now, 23 passengers have been discharged. There are few passengers from Tamil Nadu and Telangana also.

All the dead have been identified, eight from Kozhikode district, six from Malappuram district, and two from Palakkad district. The post mortem process has been expedited despite the COVID-19 threat and is expected to finish before evening. All the accident victims will be tested for COVID-19 including those who died in the crash. So far, only one victim has tested positive for Coronavirus.

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CM, Guv, ministers visit Kozhikode

The Chief Minister also appreciated the instant response by the local public living in the vicinity of the airport and also the local authorities to this tragedy which ensured the minimum loss of lives in a disaster of such large magnitude as a plane crash. The rescue operations were finished in the shortest possible time after the crash.

“Even though 18 precious lives have been lost due to the impact of the crash, the rescue operations were a miraculous work. The general public and the officials played a big role in spearheading the rescue operations,” Vijayan said.

CM Vijayan along with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan reached Kozhikode on Saturday morning to visit the crash site and meet the victims. Khan expressed his condolences and sympathies to the families of the accident victims and his best wishes for the speedy recovery of those injured. The CM was accompanied by his senior cabinet ministers as well as top civil servants.

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