Civil Aviation Ministry confirms 158 dead in Mangalore crash

MANGALORE - The Civil Aviation Ministry on Saturday confirmed that 158 people died in the Air India Express Flight crash at Mangalore on Saturday morning, leaving behind eight survivors.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who arrived here to access the situation following the crash, said that 158 people died in the crash and there are eight survivors.

“There were 137 adults, 19 children, four infants and six crew members on board,” said Patel.

“Only eight survived. Four passengers sustained minor injuries. hree are severely injured,” he added.

He further said the plane overshot the runway, and there was no defect in the plane.

“The two pilots had over 1,000 hours of flying experience. The pilots were experienced and familiar with the terrain,” said Patel.

“The runway visibility stood at six kilometers when the incident took place. The visibility was normal. The ATC signal was also clear,” he added.

The Civil Aviation Minister also announced a compensation of Rs 75 lakhs to the family of the dead.

Earlier this morning, Praful Patel had briefed the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, about rescue operations that were being carried out at the crash site.

It was also reported this morning that the pilot of the aircraft failed to signal or announce an emergency landing, which is being cited as a factor leading to the crash.

A probe team from Mumbai has arrived here to inspect the crash site and determine the cause of the mishap.

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, have expressed shock and grief over the grievous loss of life resulting from the Air India Express crash. (ANI)