At least 14 dead and several injured in plane crash at Calicut Airport

7 August 2020, 16:27

At least 14 people are dead after an Air India Express flight carrying 191 passengers skidded off the runway at Calicut Airport.

Indian media has reported that the plane "skidded off the runway".

It has also been reported that the plane's fuselage split into two as it skidded.

Police in India said at least 14 people have died in the crash, with another 123 injured.

Shashi Tharoor, a Congress party lawmaker from the state, said the two pilots were killed.

NDTV news channel reported that 30 to 40 people were hospitalised.

Reports suggest it was raining heavily which may have caused the accident. 

The airline said there were 184 passengers including 10 children, and six crew members, including two pilots, on board flight IX-1344.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the plane fell into a valley and broke in two.

The news reports said the plane did not catch fire. They said passengers were evacuated from the Boeing aircraft.

Amitabh Kant, who heads the government's planning commission, said the runway is on a hilltop with deep gorges on either side, making it difficult to land.

"The incident happened because of heavy rains and poor visibility, this is truly devastating," he told NDTV.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet that he was "distressed to learn about the tragic accident of Air India Express aircraft at Kozhikode."