Air India Express flight skids off runway, breaks into two at Kozhikode

There were 6 crew members onboard, including two pilots

An Air India Express flight with 191 passengers and crew skidded off the tabletop runway and fell into a 50 feet valley breaking into two portions while landing on Friday evening, police sources said.

Many people have been rushed to the nearby hospitals,the condition of some of them is said to be serious. The flight landed at the airport at around 7.40 pm.

A DGCA statement said the flight IX 1344 operated by B737 Dubai-Calicut aircraft with 191 people on board met with the mishap.

After landing at Runway 10, the flight continued running to end of the runway and fell down in the valley and broke into two portions, the statement said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Friday night to rush to the spot at Kerala's Kozhikode, where an Air India Express aircraft crashed, to assist in the rescue-and-relief operations.

"Distressed to learn about the tragic accident of Air India Express aircraft in Kozhikode, Kerala."Have instructed NDRF to reach the site at the earliest and assist with the rescue operations," Shah tweeted.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said police and fire force personnel have been directed to take all measures for rescue and relief operations.

Statement from Civil Aviation Ministry

Air India Express flight IX 1344 operated by B737 aircraft from Dubai to Calicut overshot runway at Kozhikode at 1941 hrs tonight. No fire reported at the time of landing. 

There are 174 passengers, 10 Infants , 2 Pilots and 5 cabin Crew on board the aircraft.

As per the initial reports rescue operations are on and  Passengers are being taken to hospital for medical care.

We will soon share the update in this regard.