An Air India Express plane crashed Friday (Aug. 7, 2020) with 190 people on board as it overshot the runway at Karipur Airport in southern India, hurtling the Boeing 737 into a valley about 35 feet down. It is being reported that at least 14 people are dead and more than 140 people are injured, some of them seriously. The pilot and co-pilot are reported to be among the dead.
The plane took off from Dubai and was attempting to land at what is also known as Kozhikode international airport in Kerala, a South Indian state, when it skidded off the runway in what was reported to be rainy weather at about 7:30 p.m. Friday evening India time. The aircraft was said to have split in two pieces but did not catch fire.
Flight AXB1344 was said to have been carrying 174 passengers, including 10 infants and four crew members. Air India Express is a subsidiary of the state-run Air India airlines.
The flight from Dubai reportedly was a repatriation flight carrying Indian citizens back to the country under the Vande Bharat Mission, meant to bring home stranded people from other countries amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Regular commercial flights have been halted in India because of the coronavirus outbreak.
It is being reported that the pilot tried to land twice before overshooting the runway on the third attempt.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the families suffering in this tragic crash.