Air India crash: Hardeep Singh Puri orders formal inquiry; relief teams sent from Delhi, Mumbai

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB) will conduct a formal enquiry into the Air India Express plane mishap. Puri also expressed his anguish and distress at the incident that claimed the lives of 18 people on board, including two pilots of the ill-fated flight.

The minister tweeted, "All efforts are being made to help passengers. A formal enquiry will be conducted into this incident by AIIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau)."

Before Puri's announcement on the investigation into the mishap, the Civil Aviation Ministry said, "Air India Express flight IX 344 operated by B737 aircraft from Dubai to Calicut overshot runway at Kozhikode at 1941 hrs tonight. No fire reported at the time of landing."

The flight was coming from Dubai and was part of the Vande Bharat Mission, which started repatriating stranded Indian citizens from foreign countries. The Boeing 737 aircraft overshot Runway no 10 at Kozhikode airport and fell into a 35-feet deep valley before splitting up into two pieces on Friday evening.

Meanwhile, the Union Minister is also expected to reach Kozhikode at 12pm today via a special flight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also spoken to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan about the mishap. PM Modi said he had directed authorities on the spot to provide the required assistance to the people affected by the incident.

The Prime Minister tweeted, "Pained by the plane accident in Kozhikode. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest."

Also read: Air India plane crash: Aircraft overshot runway in rainy conditions, split into two, says Hardeep Singh Puri