Breaking News, 07.00 PM
Nearly 160 people are feared dead after an airliner crashed while landing near the southern Indian city of Mangalore. Indian officials said there were eight survivors among 160 passengers and six crew on board the Air India Express flight from Dubai.
The Boeing 737 overshot the hilltop runway as it tried to land and burst into flames in a valley beyond. Indian Aviation Minister Praful Patel said he felt “morally responsible” for the crash, AFP news agency reports.
Survivors said they thought they heard what sounded like a tyre bursting just before the crash. Speaking to Indian TV from his hospital bed, survivor Umer Farooq said he heard a loud thud as the plane touched down.
“Then the plane veered off toward some trees on the side and then the cabin filled with smoke. I got caught in some cables but managed to scramble out,” he said.
Mr Farooq was being treated for burns to his arms, legs, and face.
Difficult access
All the passengers on the flight were Indian nationals, with many returning from jobs in the Gulf to visit their families, says the BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi. There were up to 20 children on board, our correspondent adds.
Mangalore airport lies on top of a hill with steep drops at the end of each of its two runways. One of the runways was extended in 2006 to accommodate larger planes like the Boeing 737.
Source : BBC.com
