Mangaluru: Five years since air crash - A remembrance


Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 22: It has been five years since the fateful air crash of Air India Express flight 812 that killed 158 passengers including 19 children and six crew members at Kenjar here. The flight had overshot the run way and ploughed into the valley adjacent to the airport on the morning of May 22, 2010.

The flight had arrived from Dubai a few minutes after 6 am, and many of the passengers were asleep when they were jolted by the accident. Most had died of burns. Eight had survived this disaster, which the investigators found, had been caused by the height at which the aircraft began its descent, and also the fact that it touched down 2000 feet beyond the usual touch down point. The situation turned complex after the pilot tried to abort landing and take off again at the last minute.

As the crash site belongs to a private individual, building of a memorial there has been found to be impossible. A decision had been taken long back to build a park as a memorial for the air crash victims at Tannirbavi. It may be recalled that a number of mortal remains of the passengers, which could not be identified, had been buried en masse near Tannirbavi beach. The decision to create this park has not materialised so far for various reasons. It is learnt that New Mangalore Port Trust has agreed to bring up this park in one acre plot soon. It was also decided to have the memorial park near Tannirbavi and not at the airport, as the latter location may create negative thoughts in day-to-day travellers.

District deputy commissioner, A B Ibrahim, has said that it has been decided to give the name '22/5' to the park as the disaster had occurred on May 22. The park is proposed to be handed over to the city corporation here for future maintenance. However, as of now, sand trucks have been trampling upon the site marked for this park.

Even after five years of the accident, a number of families of these victims are fighting a legal battle to get fair amount of compensation. They have been arguing that as per Montreal Convention, a minimum amount of Rs 75 lac is payable for each of the victims, as the accident was caused on account of the mistake of the airline's staff. The highest amount of compensation amounting to eight crore rupees was disbursed to a business family from Kasargod as per court orders. However, the state high court had held that Air India was right in deciding on the amount of compensation based on age, occupation, and other such criteria concerning passengers who lost their lives in the accident. The battle has now been extended to the Supreme Court.

The eight survivors have resumed their life after the accident. The air crash was one of the worst in Indian history, and facilities at the airport have improved during the last five years. The 'table top' airport has been growing in size, more and more flights have been operating from here, and it has been moving on the way to increase the length of its runway further, but the plan is plagued by the non-acquisition of required land by the state government as of now.

May 22 happens to be a day which will go down in the history of Mangaluru for the above air crash, which the people want to forget, but cannot. The people of the region once again recollect the untimely and gory deaths of the passengers hailing from the area, and pray that their souls will rest in peace.

 

Also see :

From Archives :

Daijiworld's Complete Coverage on Mangalore Crash - Click Here

  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • Kudladaar, manglaore

    Mon, May 25 2015

    Because of pilot negligence most of the passenger slot their life. While compensation, court awarded 10crore rupees to pilot family and for innocence passenger only a peanut part. This is what our national air line respecting fellow INDIANS.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Armando D'SOUZA, urwa

    Fri, May 22 2015

    State high court agrees AI compensation based on age ,occupation and other criteria, what if Dhirubai Ambani,Bill gates,Warren Buffet were in this plane not in present position but young struggling boys.

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • tony, mangalore

    Fri, May 22 2015

    The then airline minister praful patel is fully responsible for this crash. No safety. god is watching him.amen

    DisAgree [3] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • christine, manglore

    Fri, May 22 2015

    This is the life, we are being a few days visitors in this world. We live long or short our destiny is written by God, we don’t know our day too.
    We think God could be saved all from this flight. But only 8 people favored and blessed to live, and we cannot either question God about it. He is the controller of full universe.
    Almost 5 years passed. some of families may become normal some still living life in the pain, sorrow of loosing loved ones, try hard to come out from worst memorable day
    Once I know in news flight was landed emergency because of fire may in engine, and all are saved, as they favored by god, none of them are victims. Quick may in minutes all escaped and I think pilot was the last and in a minute flight was fully burned to ashes.
    While we were born into this world, we came empty handed. When God calls us to our final destination, we go with nothing materially or with loved ones…. All we take with us is our divine soul, which has done good or bad while our journey on this earth.
    So try to live a life of peace, joy and happiness. Let us learn to live with content with our loved ones, enjoying God given daily bread, shelter and peace of mind in this short life. We may work hard day and night to amass money but at the end of the day all this is of no use.
    As Luke 9:25 quotes "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits ... “ For how would a man benefit to gain the whole world but destroy his soul or lose it?” ..

    DisAgree [1] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • JANARDHANA ACHARYA, BANGALORE/UDUPI/GURUGUNDI

    Fri, May 22 2015

    I just can not agree on this. I sense some foul play in this. Mind, Indian cities are competing each other for international place.
    Nobody lands a plan unless he is asked to do by the Control Room.

    DisAgree [14] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Af,, mangaluru

    Fri, May 22 2015

    Bcos pilot 158 plus 6 crew lost their life and pilot famly got full compensation and others small amount.
    this a table top airport can not extend due to geographical reasons.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Nayeem Khan, Gurukambal

    Fri, May 22 2015

    Lets pray for a minute for those who lost their lives in this tragedy and to their family to over come the lost.....BLACK DAY IN THE HISTORY OF MANGALORE 22/05/2010.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, BAHRAIN

    Fri, May 22 2015

    This was the worst, what happened five years ago.Time doesn't heal all wounds it simply teaches us to live with what we cannot understand.
    May the souls rest in eternal peace.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • richard monis, mangalore

    Fri, May 22 2015

    MAY 22ND 2010 CAN NOT BE FORGET IN MY LIFE. MY NEIBHOURS R READY FOR RECEIVING THIER DADY/HUSBAND. SUDDENDLY 1000 HRS GOT NEWS THAT FLIGHT IS CRASHED. I WAS THERE AT HOME & VISITED THEIR HOUSE, CONTROLLING HOUSE PEOPLE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IN MY LIFE. wHOLE MLR CALM FOR ONE WEEK AND MOST OF THEM ARE BURRIED AT KULUR RIVER SIDE. THIS IS ALSO A GREAT EXPIERENCE.NOW 5 YEARS COMPLTD ALL R IN NORMAL LIFE. THIS TYPE OF ACCIDET SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN FUTURE.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [25] Reply Report Abuse

  • j.anata, Mangaluru / Colombo

    Fri, May 22 2015

    It was one dreadful tragic event...it was a journey into eternity for the dead...may the souls rest in peace

    DisAgree [1] Agree [25] Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: Mangaluru: Five years since air crash - A remembrance



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.