14 Dead and Many injured as Aircraft ‘Splits in Two’ after Crash Landing in Heavy Rain

At least 14 people are dead after an Air India Express Boeing 737 carrying 200 passengers skidded off the runway in bad weather at Calicut Airport in Kerala.

The plane, which had 10 infants on board, was coming in from Dubai when it overshot the runway and split into two as it landed and slipped thirty feet down into a valley in heavy rain. Emergency services rushed to the scene, with paramedics ferrying the injured to local hospitals. Four people are still believed to be stuck in the wreckage, heavy equipment is being bought in to help set them free.

The airline said there were 184 passengers including 10 children, and six crew members, including two pilots, onboard flight IX-1344 when it crashed. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the plane fell into a valley and broke in two after skidding off the end of the runway.

One of the pilots is believed to have been killed in the incident, it’s reported. The plane was reportedly collecting passengers who were stranded abroad amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The rescue effort is still ongoing, please check back later for an update.