A black Saturday in Bajpe:

29.05.10 : An Air India Express service plane carrying 168 passengers including pilots Z. Glusica (a British Serbian) and H.S. Ahluwalia (a Punjabi based in Kankanady, Mangalore) and 2 airhostesses Sujatha  and Tejal, besides two stewards, coming down in speed and overtaking the runaway before a fresh take –off on landing, shook violently, hitting perimeter walls and exploded, falling in to a wooded gorge to kill 158 passengers, in a fire and thick smoke. All the 6 crew members lost their lives. 136 bodies have been identified within 4 days and handed over to relatives, with an insurance and interim relief payments, a central and state grant, not less than Rs 1500 Lakhs each in all cases. 20+2 bodies are charred and need DNA tests, partly done. Mohd. Usman and Joel Pradeep D’Souza walked out of the mess, astounding Bajpe air officials. Of the 8 injured, 3 from SCS Hospital were discharged on May 26. 17 striking Air India engineers and staff were sacked as the strike came close to Bajpe air crash and for a delay of one week in salary payments. Delhi High Court prevented the senseless strikers from continuing their lightning strike. 15 more employees were suspended. 140 air flights of Air India were cancelled on May 25-26. 41 AI employees have been sacked on Thursday.