2020 Kozhikode flight crash survivors to set up hospital in name of local rescuers

In a show of gratitude to the locals who helped in the rescue in 2020 when an Air India Express flight crashed at Kozhikode international airport, the survivors, along with the dependents of the deceased, have offered to set up a new building for a public health centre in the locality.

A total of Rs 50 lakh, contributed by the mishap victims from the compensation they received from the airline, will be spent for the initiative. The proposal for this would be handed over to the state government on Sunday, August 8—the second anniversary of the crash.

In 2020, an AIE flight from Dubai, under the Vande Bharat mission, skidded during landing at Kozhikode claiming 21 lives, including that of the two pilots, and causing injuries to 169 others.

Local MLA T V Ibrahim told DH that sports minister V Abdurahiman would hand over the proposal to the district health authorities on Sunday. The plan is to construct a new building with modern facilities for the public health centre at Chirayil in Kondotty near the airport, located in Malappuram district.

According to the accident victims action council leader Abdu Rahiman Edakkuni, all the accident survivors and dependents of those who died in the mishap were making contributions for the initiative. A suggestion to do something beneficial for the local people, who were involved in the rescue operation, was made during a function organised for the first anniversary of the crash.

Rescue initiative by the locals immediately after the crash was widely appreciated at the time as well. The locals had ventured out to attempt search and rescue, braving the risks involved, even as Kerala was in the throngs Covid-19 pandemic at that time.

Now, nearly two years later, almost all have received compensation. While the dependents of the deceased got compensations ranging from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 6 crore, the injured received compensations ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.2 crore, depending on the nature of their injuries, and their professions. Many suffered permanent injuries, too, in the mishap and some had approached consumer forums seeking further compensation, said Edakkuni.