Air India Express flight accident: PM Modi speaks to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Kozhikode, Aug 7: PM Narendra Modi spoke to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on phone about the Karipur plane crash. The CM has informed the PM that a team of officials including Kozhikode & Malappuram District Collectors & IG Ashok Yadav have been rushed to the airport & are participating in the rescue operation,'' Kerala CMO sttement read.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said police and fire force personnel have been directed to take all measures for rescue and relief operations. He has deputed A C Moideen, minister for local bodies, to oversee the rescue operations.

AC Moideen has already left for Karipur from Thrisur.

The CM also has deputed an IG of police to oversee the rescue operation. Health authorities have been instructed to provide all possible medical aid to those injured in the tragedy.

Aviation regulator DGCA said an Air India Express plane coming from Dubai broke into "two pieces" after landing at Kozhikode airport in Kerala on Friday evening. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said there were approximately 191 persons on board.

The regulator said the flight -- IX 1344 -- continued running to the end of the runway amid heavy rain and "fell down in the valley and broke down in two pieces".

The flight landed at the airport at around 7.40 pm. The airline spokesperson said the aircraft apparently overshot the runway. Air India Express has only Boeing 737 planes in its fleet.

An Air India Express flight with 191 passengers and crew skidded off the tabletop runway and fell into a 50 feet valley breaking into two portions while landing on Friday evening,police sources said.

Many people have been rushed to the nearby hospitals,the condition of some of them is said to be serious.

Helpline numbers

Relatives of passengers onboard Air India Express Flight (IX 1344) that crashed at Karipur International Airport, can contact the following Helpline Number for enquiries - 0495 - 2376901: Kozhikode Collector.