<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Almost five years after the incident at Kozhikode airport, many are still struggling to come to terms with the horrors they endured and the injuries which were inflicted upon them. Moreover, the work on enhancing the safety of the runway is still lagging behind.</p><p>On August 7 2020, an Air India Express flight IX-1344 from Dubai overshot the table top runway while it was landing in Kozhikode. </p><p>The flight was part of the Vande Barat mission that was bringing back Indians who were stranded in foreign lands due to Covid-19 breakout. </p><p>21 people, including the two pilots, were killed and 165 passengers and four cabin crew survived the mishap with injuries.</p> .<p>"I am fortunate that I can now walk. My wife is still on wheelchair like many others. Another woman passenger is still bed-ridden after undergoing multiple surgeries," Saifu, a survivor of the Kozhikode accident, told <em>DH</em>. </p><p>Several survivors of the mishap suffered permanent disabilities and are going through hardships, added Saifu, who is a native of Koduvally.</p><p>Abdurahiman Edakkuni, chairman of an action council of the accident survivors and victims' dependents, said that all the survivors as well the dependents of the deceased already received compensations ranging to around Rs. 7.2 crore after several rounds of deliberations. </p><p>Some had approached the Supreme Court seeking higher compensations. Around 40 survivors suffered disabilities that required medical treatments. They are still not getting any assistance.</p> .<p>The survivors and dependents of the accident are jointly constructing a building at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh for the public health centre near the mishap spot as a show of gratitude to the local people who were involved in the risky rescue operation. </p>.<p>Meanwhile, the work on expanding the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) of the airport is still pending. The RESA on either side of the runway is being widened to 240 metres at a cost of Rs. 480 crore.</p><p>Local MLA T V Ibrahim said that being a table top airport, the RESA widening work would require earth in large quantities. That seems to be a reason for the work getting delayed.</p><p>The plans to increase the length of the runway to 3,400 metres from 2,850 metres has been put on hold. Operation of wide bodied aircrafts to the airport that was suspended following the 2020 mishap is yet to be restored.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Almost five years after the incident at Kozhikode airport, many are still struggling to come to terms with the horrors they endured and the injuries which were inflicted upon them. Moreover, the work on enhancing the safety of the runway is still lagging behind.</p><p>On August 7 2020, an Air India Express flight IX-1344 from Dubai overshot the table top runway while it was landing in Kozhikode. </p><p>The flight was part of the Vande Barat mission that was bringing back Indians who were stranded in foreign lands due to Covid-19 breakout. </p><p>21 people, including the two pilots, were killed and 165 passengers and four cabin crew survived the mishap with injuries.</p> .<p>"I am fortunate that I can now walk. My wife is still on wheelchair like many others. Another woman passenger is still bed-ridden after undergoing multiple surgeries," Saifu, a survivor of the Kozhikode accident, told <em>DH</em>. </p><p>Several survivors of the mishap suffered permanent disabilities and are going through hardships, added Saifu, who is a native of Koduvally.</p><p>Abdurahiman Edakkuni, chairman of an action council of the accident survivors and victims' dependents, said that all the survivors as well the dependents of the deceased already received compensations ranging to around Rs. 7.2 crore after several rounds of deliberations. </p><p>Some had approached the Supreme Court seeking higher compensations. Around 40 survivors suffered disabilities that required medical treatments. They are still not getting any assistance.</p> .<p>The survivors and dependents of the accident are jointly constructing a building at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh for the public health centre near the mishap spot as a show of gratitude to the local people who were involved in the risky rescue operation. </p>.<p>Meanwhile, the work on expanding the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) of the airport is still pending. The RESA on either side of the runway is being widened to 240 metres at a cost of Rs. 480 crore.</p><p>Local MLA T V Ibrahim said that being a table top airport, the RESA widening work would require earth in large quantities. That seems to be a reason for the work getting delayed.</p><p>The plans to increase the length of the runway to 3,400 metres from 2,850 metres has been put on hold. Operation of wide bodied aircrafts to the airport that was suspended following the 2020 mishap is yet to be restored.</p>