The recent AIR INDIA tragedy, an Analysis.

26.05.10 Mangalore : On the black saturnine May 22 morning, a Saturday, 158 air passengers from Dubai (proceeding to Kasaragod in Kerala and Karnataka regions) met with a disaster in Bajpe airport and were killed in 2 minutes. It is regarded as the third worst mass tragedy in AI history, on a tabletop aerodrome having a runway of 5,000 meters but not enough. Almost everybody who was somebody on the west coast in K-K, rushed there. The union civil Aviation minister of state, Praful Patel who had inaugurated an integrated civil aerodrome with all facilities in next door Kenjar international airport that would function from June 1, after co-ordinating with several airways, and gone back to Delhi, had to return in a hurry to supervise the post - accident events in Bajpe on May 22 noon. He again went back to Delhi in complete sorrow and tendered his resignation to PM, owning his moral responsibility for the stark tragedy (and that is true), but PM asked him to perform his tasks better thereafter. Patel announced in Bajpe in a press conference that Govt of India would pay a compensation of Rs.75 crores to the close relations of the dead 158 passengers all of whom were located in 12 hours at the spot of the tragedy. In a day or two, 128 bodies were identified and the bereaved families were paid Rs. 10 Lakhs each (besides 2 Lakhs each from PM’s funds and Karnataka treasury). The remaining bodies have to be identified with their real claimants as they need DNA tests and some are beyond recognition eaten up by fire. The plane exploded into 2 parts, with one wing and a tyre gone in a gorge outside the border line of the runway. 8 people , authorities say, have survived including a child , and 7 of them were taken out of smoke and fire by a passing Railwayman on duty, and he was awarded Rs. 25,000/- by E. Ahmed, deputy Railways minister who arrived in Mangalore. Kenjar villagers served as volunteers of help.

If only Kenjar terminal had started to function, there would    have been no such horrible tragedy. AI chief and Air Authority chairman were here, Bajpe was angry and jealous of Kenjaru terminal as the former would be used as a cargo terminal in future for Exim operations. So Bajpe had its revenge, when the safety norms were not working. UPA govt has been shaken by this massacre.

(Pombatmajal Ramesh Rao)