South

It is a wedding that will never happen as the Air India Express plane crash at Kozhikode snuffed out the life of the prospective young bridegroom.

Kerala on Saturday reported 1,420 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single day surge so far.

The number of deaths in the massive landslide that destroyed a row of 20 houses of tea estate workers in the high range Idukki district of Kerala on Saturday climbed to 26 with 11 more bodies being recovered from the debris, as efforts were on amid continuing rains to locate those missing.

The Air India Express flight from Dubai with 190 people on board overshot the tabletop runway at the airport here while landing in heavy rains and fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into two portions on Friday night, killing 18 people and injuring many others.

Swollen rivers and flood-like situation continue to threaten lives and property in several parts of Karnataka that have been ravaged by torrential rains over the last few days.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Arvind Singh on Saturday said "corrective action" will be taken after receiving the probe report on the Air India Express plane crash at Kozhikode airport on Friday.

The Air India Express Boeing 737-800 aircraft which fell into a gorge at Kozhikode airport had landed more than 1 kilometre down the length of the runway in windy and rainy conditions.

Co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar, who died in the plane crash at Kerala's Kozhikode last night, is survived by his pregnant wife. His cousin Basudev said the delivery is expected in 10-15 days. The devastated family is trying to come to terms with their loss.

The Kerala government on Saturday announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of those who died when an ill-fated Air India Express flight veered off the runway while attempting to land at the Karipur international airport.

Known for his brilliant teaching skills, Pitambarlal Rajani, a noted professor and theatre director in Tamil Nadu, has died of COVID-19 at the age of 80.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said the Air India Express plane, which crashed while attempting to land amid heavy rain on a tabletop runway at Kerala's Kozhikode airport, was carrying enough fuel to attempt a landing elsewhere

The Air India Express plane that crashed last night at Kerala's Kozhikode airport touched down 1 km into the length of the runway at the tabletop airport, sources in the regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have told NDTV.

Junior Foreign Minister V Muraleedharan has dismissed aspersions on the condition of the runway in Kerala's Kozhikode "tabletop" airport, where a Boeing 737 NG of Air India Express broke in two after landing last night, killing 18 including the two pilots. The plane that came from Dubai had 184 on board.

The Air India Express plane that crashed at Kerala's Kozhikode yesterday evening landed 1 km down the length of the runway at the tabletop airport, sources in aviation regulator DGCA told NDTV. It also had fuel to attempt a diversionary landing elsewhere, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said Saturday. Flight IX-1344, carrying 184 people including passengers and crew from Dubai, broke up into pieces after skidding off the runway amid heavy rain and hurtling down a valley at 7.41 PM. This morning the flight data recorders were found. At least 18 people, including both pilots, were killed and 127 others were injured in the accident. The airport, built on top of a hill with limited space at the end of the runway, is one of Kerala's more prominent international terminals.

Screams of pain, blood soaked clothing, terrified children and the blare of ambulance sirens captured the distressing scene that unfolded at Kozhikode after the ill-fated aircraft from Dubai crash landed and fell into a valley with a deafening sound, killing at least 17 people on Friday.