Pics: Allwyn Mascarenhas/Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 22: During the early hours on May 22, 2010, an Air India flight from Dubai had overshot the runway and crashed into the steep forest area bordering the airport here. This nightmare becomes a decade old today.

The crash had accounted for the lives of 158 persons including the pilot and crew. As many as 19 children, four infants, and six airline crew died in the worst accident at the airport here. The flight had a total number of 166 persons on board out of which eight survived. Those who died were from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada districts besides the neighbouring state of Kerala.

Crash site

District administration paying tribute

Pradeep (28) from Tannirbavi, Muhammed Usman (49) from Hampankatta here, Jewel D'Souza (24) from Vamanjoor, Maheen Kutty (49) from Kerala Kannur Kambil, Krishnan (37) from Kasargod Uduma Kiulikunnu, Ummer Farooq (26) from Ullal, Abdulla (37) from Puttur Samethadka, and Mangaluru KMC student Sabreena (23) from Bangladesh had miraculously survived the crash.

The flight was on course for safe landing but at the last minute it appeared to have overshot the runway. It went ahead, hit the pillars of the air traffic control tower and plunged down into a gorge. The investigation later found that recklessness of the part of the commander, and his failure to accept the suggestions given by the co-pilot were responsible for the disaster.

Most of the bodies were charred beyond recognition in this tragedy.

In memory of the victims of this tragedy, a memorial park named 22/5 has been created on the way to Tannirbavi near Kulur. Tributes were paid to the victims of the air crash by district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh and others.