Air India Express crash in Kerala: Death toll now at 17; crew members safe

The death toll in the flight crash landing incident at Kozhikode in Kerala rose to 17, Air India Express informed on Saturday.

While the two pilots are among the deceased, the four-cabin crew members on board the aircraft are safe.

"Air India Express Limited regrets to confirm that its flight IX-1344 from DXB (Dubai International Airport) to CCJ (Kozhikode International Airport) was involved in an accident on August 7, 2020 at Calicut. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the passengers and crew and their families. We would like to inform that as of now there are 17 confirmed deceased including two pilots. The four-cabin crew members are confirmed safe," the air carrier said in the statement.

Emergency Response team members, as well as Special Assistance Team members, have been pressed into service from Cochin, Mumbai and Delhi to render all possible assistance to the passengers as well as to the family members, it added.

Moreover, the Air India Express has arranged a "special relief flight from Mumbai and Delhi" for rendering humanitarian assistance to all the passengers and their family members.
 

It has also established a passenger information centre and a toll-free number has been made available for the family or friends of those who may have been on board flight IX-1344. "The toll free number is 1800 2222 71. For those calling from outside, please call international country code," it added.

Air India Express Dubai- Kozhikode IX-1344 flight, carrying 190 people on board from Dubai under the Vande Bharat Mission, skidded off the runway at Karipur Airport in Kozhikode on Friday evening.