JOIN USAir India plane crash survivors and locals yet to overcome the shock
Thirty-four-year-old Renjith Panangad still shivers when he recollects the horrifying experience onboard AIE IX 1344 that crashed at Kozhikode international airport in Kerala on Friday evening.
"I really thought that it was my end as the flight went haywire and nosedived. After the touchdown, the aircraft went haywire as if it was bulldozing. Passengers were screaming, unaware of what was happening and I almost lost senses when the flight fell into a valley," Renjith who is recovering from the head injuries at Beach Hospital in Kozhikode told DH over phone.
A native of Thayannur in Kasargod district, Renjith was among the 50 odd persons who were returning either on job loss or expiry of visa. He recollected that as the flight was landing, the crew only gave the usual message to fasten seat-belts. Renjith was sitting near the wings and he escaped with minor injuries on head.
Even for the residents near the Karipur airport, which is around 25 kilometres from Kozhikode city, it was a shock of their lifetime. About 150 persons, who took part in the rescue operations, are now under quarantine as one of the deceased tested Covid-19 positive.
Muhammed Rafi, ward member of Koduvally town near Karipur, said that as soon as the mishap occurred, he alerted many in the locality to come up for the rescue operations. But the airport gate near the crash site was closed. The security personnel was initially reluctant to open the gate as he had no instruction from higher-ups. But owing to public pressure, he opened the gates and allowed the volunteers to enter the premises. Even then the volunteers sought the permission of the airport officials there before they entered the aircraft for rescue and they immediately took many out of the aircraft, he said.
"The area was then a containment zone. But no one cared for all these as the passengers were screaming from help," said Rafi.
The rescue efforts of the local people had received much appreciation from Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as well as Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.