The death toll from an Air India passenger plane crash at Kozhikode airport in the Indian state of Kerala has risen to 17. Hundreds more passengers were injured in the incident. NDTV Online reported this news quoting the local police.
The plane carrying 191 passengers skidded off the runway while landing at Kozhikode airport in heavy rain on Friday (August 7).
The Kerala police chief said the Air India Express pilot was among the dead. Authorities say all have been evacuated and at least 112 people have been taken to hospital.
According to Indian media, Kerala has been experiencing heavy rains for the past few days. The IX 1344 flight of Air India Express skidded off the runway while landing at Kozhikode Airport on Friday evening. The plane was torn in two.
The flight of Air India Express, a subsidiary of India's state-owned airline Air India, was returning from Dubai with Indians stranded in the Corona pandemic. The plane had a total of 184 passengers, including 10 children, four cabin crew and two pilots.