Kerala Plane Crash: An Air India Express with as many as 191 passengers on board en route from Dubai skidded off the runway while landing at Karipur Airport, Kozhikode on Friday evening. The plane was Boeing 737 NG or Next Generation which overshot the runway attempting to land at Kerala's 'tabletop' Kozhikode airport, breaking in two and coming to rest in a nearby valley.


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As per reports, 18 people including two pilots have lost their lives in the incident. Injured are admitted to hospitals in Malappuram & Kozhikode.

According to a statement by Air India Express both the pilots have died in the crash and the other 4 crew members are safe.

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Kozhikode airport is a "tabletop" airport, junior External Affairs Minister V Muraleedharan tweeted. A tabletop runway is a runway on the top of a plateau or hill with one or both ends adjacent to a steep elevation, which drops into a gorge. Such an airport presents a challenging condition for landing.


Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has reached Kozhikode to take stock of the situation where Air India flight (IX-1344) crash-landed yesterday.

Ken Juster, US Ambassador to India also expressed his grief on the mishap and said,"On behalf of the US Mission, we are deeply saddened by the news of the Air India accident in Kozhikode. The victims and their loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers."