Kerala leaders seek higher damages for crash victims

Congress leaders from Kerala today urged the Centre to enhance the amount of Rs two lakh announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as relief to the families of those killed in the Air India Express air crash here yesterday.

Singh had yesterday announced a financial assistance of Rs two lakh each for the families of those killed and a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to those injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.

Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala who visited Wenlock Hospital here, where victims' bodies have been kept, said many of those killed, especially Keralites, were bread-winners of their families, which depend on their remittances from Gulf.

So apart from the personal and emotional loss, the families had been financially hit by the tragedy, the leaders said, adding they would take up the issue of enhancing the compensation with the Union Government.

All but eight of 166 passengers on board the Air India Express flight from Dubai were killed when the plane overshot the runway, veered off and plunged into a ravine before bursting into flames.