Candlelight vigil, condolence meeting held in Dubai for Mangalore crash victims

DUBAI - A candlelight vigil followed by a condolence meeting was held in the Indian Consulate’s premises in Dubai in memory of the 158 people killed in Saturday’s Air India Express crash at the Mangalore airport.

The Air India Express flight from Dubai to Mangalore carrying 160 passengers and six crewmembers had crashed while landing at the Mangalore airport.

A moment of silence was observed as the names of all the victims were scrolled down on an electronic screen inside the consulate’s auditorium, as grief-stricken members from the community expressed anguish and shock over the deaths.

Indian Consul General Sanjay Verma said the tragedy was more sorrowful as the passengers of the flight had lost their lives while making a journey to their motherland.

“Only thing that comes with a 100 per cent guarantee is death, but when death comes in such an unnatural and abrupt manner, it confounds the soul,” Gulfnews.com quoted Verma, as saying.

He added that the Consulate and its staff would offer support for the relatives of the victims in coming days.

C.R. Shetty, President of the Karnataka Sangha in Dubai and UAE Tulu Association, which lost 40 of its members in the crash, said the community had not yet come to terms with the reality of losing so many of its close associates.

“We are doing our best to help the relatives with information. Our members are also in touch with people who need help from the UAE on all matters,” Shetty said.

Meanwhile, prominent members of the Indian community also expressed their support for the relatives and families of the deceased. (ANI)