India plane crash survivors jumped from burning wreckage

Survivors of an air crash that killed nearly 160 people in India today told how they jumped from the burning plane as it broke up and plunged into a valley.

Of the 166 passengers and crew on board the Air India flight to Mangalore, only eight survived as it overshot the “table-top” runway at Bajpe airport.

Emergency teams said tonight that 146 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage as investigators began the task of identifying what caused the accident.

As rescue teams continued to recover bodies from the scene, a handful of passengers began to tell of their miraculous escape.

Pradeep G Kotian, 28, told the Press Association: “The flight started fine from Dubai and there was no problem en route. The pilot announced landing and we were all prepared, with our seat-belts on.

“As soon as the plane touched the runway, it started vibrating and before we could realise what was happening, we heard a loud sound and the plane broke into two pieces. Then there was smoke and fire on the plane.”

He added that he could hear the screams and shouts of people around him, but said: “Nobody could do anything.”

“Luckily, I saw the opening where the plane had split into two and I jumped out of it. I could see three others who had also jumped out from the same opening.”

Another survivor, 47-year-old Krishnan K, thanked God for his miraculous escape.

“It happened all of a sudden and I considered myself really lucky to have survived this crash. I thank God for my survival,” he said.

Nearby residents rushed to the crash site, describing “shocking” scenes as they pulled charred bodies from the wreckage.

The crash followed heavy rains in recent days that hampered the rescue effort.

It is believed cloudy conditions and reduced visibility may have contributed to the incident.

The airport is located on a plateau surrounded by hills, making it difficult for the firefighters to reach the scene.

Its “table-top” runway ends in a valley. As a result, if a plane overshoots it is likely to result in a major incident, aviation experts have said.

One witness described plumes of smoke coming from the valley after the crash.

Mohammad Haris, 42, who lives near the airport, was alerted to the crash at about 6.30am local time.

He said: “I heard a loud bang early in the morning. Initially I couldn’t understand what happened, but then I saw smoke coming out from the valley near the airport.

“Along with a few other neighbours, I rushed to the spot. It was rather difficult to reach the site because of the dense vegetation. We began pulling bodies from the wreckage and one of us informed the local authorities.”

He added: “I have never seen anything like this before. I am shocked.”

Another local resident known only as Balakrishna, 34, said: “It took a while to absorb what had happened. After that we did what was needed to be done.”

The crash is believed to be the worst in India since the November 1996 mid-air collision between a Saudi airliner and a Kazakh cargo plane near New Delhi that killed 349 people.

Air India director Anup Srivastava said in a statement today: “Air India Express regrets to announce that a B737-800 aircraft operating as flight IX-812 from Dubai to Mangalore was involved in an accident early this morning.

“The accident occurred after the aircraft landed at Mangalore airport and overshot the runway.”

The statement added: “We have opened helplines and are making arrangements for rescue. As per our information, the airport has been shut. We are extending our support to emergency services, relatives and investigation agencies.”