Updates| ₹10 lakh as interim relief to families of deceased: aviation minister

#WATCH Latest visuals from Kozhikode International Airport in Karipur, Kerala where an #AirIndiaExpress flight crash-landed yesterday.

18 people, including two pilots, have lost their lives in the incident. pic.twitter.com/r1YRiIkbrM

— ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2020

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DG), civil aviation ministry senior officials, Airports Authority of India, and Air Navigation Service members will hold a meeting in Delhi today over crash landing of the Air India Express flight in Kozhikode last evening..

Local people who braved all odds to save passengers in the Air India Express plane crash have been asked to go into quarantine as a precautionary measure, said state health minister KK Shailaja.

Three Air India Express flights have been sent to Kozhikode in Kerala to assist passengers and family members of those affected by the plane crash last evening, the airline said in a statement.

Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who was leaving for the Kozhikode International Airport in Karipur, said, "our task would have been much more difficult if the plane had caught fire," according to ANI.

Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri will reach Kozhikode in the afternoon.

The minister had on Friday said, "all efforts being made to help passengers. A formal enquiry will be conducted by Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB).”

Before the Air India Express flight overshot and crash landed at the Kozhikode airport runway, the pilots, both of who died in the crash, had attempted two landings but had to abort due to tailwind, an official said.

"According to weather radar, approach was for runway 28 but as pilots found difficulties they went around twice and came from the opposite side on runway 10 and the plane crash-landed at Kerala's Kozhikode airport," a senior investigator from DGCA told ANI.

Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan will visit Kozhikkode on Saturday to meet those injured in the Air India Express flight crash. He is likely to be accompanied by chief secretary and DGP.

The Indian Consulate in Dubai will remain open on Saturday to provide assistance for travelling to Kerala and providing information about the Air India Express flight from Dubai that crashed at the Kozhikode airport in Kerala and broke into two.

Riyas, one of the passengers, who was rescued, said the flight went around the airport twice before attempting to land.

"I was in the back seat. There was a big noise and I don't know what happened after that," he told a TV channel.

There was a big settlement 300 m away from the plane crash site and the pilot reportedly avoided getting closer to it due to his experience, said a senior official adding that the impact would have been much higher otherwise.

Several youngsters were seen queued up before the Government Medical College Kozhikode to donate blood as the hospital had last night requested people to contribute to facilitate treatment of Air India Express plane crash victims.

Services at Kozhikode airport have been temporarily suspended. All incoming flights have been diverted to either Kannur and Cochin international airports.

Of the 190 people on board the Air India Express Calicut bound plane, 123 are injured.

A special team to conduct the post mortem of the deceased has been formed following which the bodies will be disposed .

A Covid-19 test will also be conducted.

Survivors of the Kerala plane crash say "brave pilot and vigilant local people averted a major tragedy."

People rushed to the spot and retrieved passengers before help came in. Though it was an evacuation plane they entered the flight ignoring smoke and minor fire and retrieved all aboard.