Air India Express flight catches fire - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. On August 7, 2020, an Air India Express flight from Dubai to Kozhikode, India, carrying 190 passengers and crew members, skidded off the runway and caught fire during landing.
- 2. The flight was a part of the Vande Bharat Mission, which aims to repatriate Indian citizens stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 3. The aircraft involved in the incident was a Boeing 737-800, which overshot the runway during landing in heavy rain and broke into two pieces.
- 4. The flight was carrying 174 adult passengers, 10 infants, and 6 crew members. There were reportedly 19 deaths and over 100 injuries among the passengers and crew.
- 5. The pilot of the aircraft, Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe, and co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar were among those who lost their lives in the crash.
- 6. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, but it is believed that the heavy rain and slippery runway conditions may have contributed to the incident.
- 7. The Air India Express flight was carrying passengers who were returning to India from Dubai after being stranded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 8. The injured passengers and crew members were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, and rescue operations were carried out by local authorities.
- 9. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and announced financial assistance for those affected by the crash.
- 10. This incident has raised concerns about the safety of air travel during adverse weather conditions and the need for stricter safety measures to prevent such accidents in the future.