Story of solidarity: How Kozhikode locals came together to save the victims of Air India plane crash
After the crash of the Air India Express aircraft in Karippur, the locals of Kozhikode came together despite the COVID-19 pandemic to rescue the crash victims.
The roar of the heavy rains was broken by an even louder thunder on the night of August 8, when an Air India Express aircraft AI-IX1344 skid 35 feet away from the airport’s runway in Karippur, Kozhikode. The accident claimed 18 lives, including pilot Deepak Sathe, and co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar, and injured hundreds of people.
A police official saluting the rescuers (Image: Twitter)
However, the nearby residents were quick to respond to the scene.
“I heard two loud thuds and thought it was thunder. However, as screaming and calls for help became louder, we ran out without wearing gloves or masks,” Fazal Puthiyakath, one of the first responders told The Indian Express.
“Most of the passengers had their legs stuck between the seats, and some of the airport authorities, with their experience, guided the locals in how to get them out,” one of the rescue volunteers Labeeb Pookkottur said.
Labeeb, who is also a coordinator at the COVID First-Line Treatment Center (CFLTC), said that all the passengers were rescued in a span of two and a half hours.
According to another resident of the area P Afzal, many of them helped the officials who were in charge of the rescue operations. “Initially, we did not wait for ambulances and evacuated the passengers in private vehicles and taxis. We also helped police in controlling traffic to make way for ambulances,” he told the Hindustan Times.
Six children who survived the air crash were admitted to Kozhikode's Baby Memorial Hospital, and the locals further helped identify their parents and family members, according to the hospital staff.
"Hats off to the locals... They handled all these children like their own. None of the children were able to tell what is their name or their parents' name... They didn't have passports," Paediatrician Dr. Ajay, who works at the Baby Memorial Hospital told NDTV.
Moreover, the residents of Kozhikode lined up outside the blood bank, despite the COVID-19 pandemic around them to help these people. Some of the netizens also tweeted about the same.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also tweeted about the efforts, appreciating the quick response of the locals to help the victims of the air crash. “Yesterday, the fast response of local people and officials made all the difference. They braved bad weather and COVID fears to rescue their fellow beings. The long queues of people who wanted to donate blood was just one example.”
Health Minister KK Shailaja insisted that those involved in the rescue operations to be quarantined to curb the ongoing pandemic, and have been housed in different quarantine centres.
In a kind gesture, a lone police official visited two of the quarantine centres to thank and salute these rescuers. Netizens shared the viral image and also thanked them for their active and timely involvement.
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Edited by Suman Singh
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