Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan to get a sense of the ground situation, soon after an Air India Express flight overshot the runway and crashed.
The Prime Minister tweeted, “Pained by the plane accident in Kozhikode. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest.” He assured the state government of all possible help to the state government. In a tweet, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan stated: “PM @narendramodi ji called to inquire about the #KhozikodeAirCrash. Expressed his deepest condolences on the loss of lives. He inquired about the details of the incident and sought information on casualties. Planning to visit Kozhikode tomorrow to be with the aggrieved.”
Meanwhile, two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been rushed for evacuation and rescue work. Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, “Distressed to learn about the tragic accident of Air India Express aircraft in Kozhikode, Kerala.”
Fourteen people have been reported dead so far, including the pilot. The mishap occurred at around 8.20 p.m. The aircraft had 190 people onboard, including 174 passengers, 10 infants, four crew members and two pilots. About 40 ambulances have reached the accident spot and are rushing the passengers to various hospitals in Kozhikode and Malappuram. The condition of several passengers who were brought to a private hospital is reported to be serious.
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