Mangalore tragedy
Nearly 160 people have died after an airliner crashed while landing near the southern Indian city of Mangalore. Indian officials told the media that there were eight survivors among the 160 passengers and six crewmembers onboard the Air India flight from Dubai. Reports from the scene state that the Boeing 737 aircraft overshot the hilltop runway as it tried to land, bursting into flames in a valley beyond the airport. All passengers on the flight were Indian nationals, with many returning from jobs in the gulf region to visit their families. Praful Patel, India’s civil aviation minister, said an investigation had been ordered into the crash, and that the flight data and voice recorders had been found. The US National Transportation Safety Board has also despatched a team of investigators to assist the Indian government.
Nearly 160 people have died after an airliner crashed while landing near the southern Indian city of Mangalore. Indian officials told the media that there were eight survivors among the 160 passengers and six crewmembers onboard the Air India flight from Dubai. Reports from the scene state that the Boeing 737 aircraft overshot the hilltop runway as it tried to land, bursting into flames in a valley beyond the airport.
All passengers on the flight were Indian nationals, with many returning from jobs in the gulf region to visit their families. Praful Patel, India’s civil aviation minister, said an investigation had been ordered into the crash, and that the flight data and voice recorders had been found. The US National Transportation Safety Board has also despatched a team of investigators to assist the Indian government.