It has been raining heavily in Kerala, bringing back memories of the last two years, especially 2018 when rain wreaked massive havoc across the state. And today, was a day of two rain-related tragedies. The day began with one and ended with another.
LANDSLIDE
Early morning, we got the news of a landslide burying the residential quarters of tea garden workers in a place called Pettimudi near the tourist hill station of Munnar in the Idukki district of central Kerala. 18 people died and 52 are missing.
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| Rescue workers at the site. Photo courtesy: The Hindu |
Apparently, the incident happened late last night, as people were asleep. Since communication lines were disrupted, news filtered out very slowly and the enormity of the tragedy became apparent only today morning.
Several places in north Kerala are also battling incessant rain. Since many people have been evacuated, loss of lives has been minimised in those areas, but there is considerable loss of property.
PLANE ACCIDENT
In the evening around 8 pm came the news of a plane accident - an Air India flight from Dubai with 190 people on board skidded off the runway while landing in heavy rain in Karipur airport in Kozhikode in north Kerala, fell into a 35-ft gorge, and broke into two pieces. At least 15 people have died.
The wreckage of the plane. Photo courtesy: The Hindu
TABLE-TOP RUNWAY
This airport is one of the few which has a table-top runway. They are called table-top because the runway is like the top of a table; a raised platform of land, surrounded by a precipice on all sides. This means the plane has limited space to land and the pilot has to be very careful.
I haven't been able to find out how many such airports are there in the world. But there are at least two in India. Besides the one in Kozhikode, where the accident happened today, there is one in Mangaluru in neighbouring Karnataka state.
REPEAT OF 2010
Incidentally, in Mangaluru airport, there was a similar tragedy in May 2010, in which, again an Air India plane from Dubai overshot the runway and fell into a gorge. The plane caught fire killing 158 people; 8 survived. Luckily, in Kozhikode tonight, the plane didn't catch fire, and the fatalities have been minimised.
ALMOST HOME
This flight, which was involved in the accident today, was one of those special repatriation flights -- called Vande Bharat Mission -- that the government has been operating to bring home people who are stuck in various places abroad because of the cancellation of normal flights.
How sad. They must have been waiting for so long to be with their family and friends, and they were almost home.
Very tragic. I have no words. Two of my relatives are pilots with Air India and they both are involved in repatriation flights from the middle east.
ReplyDeleteSo sad. But kind of on par for this year. It's like we can't catch a break anywhere.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteOh this is dreadful news... this year is determined to remind we humans we are little stuff... 2020 will be one of those years which mark eras, of this I grow ever more certain. YAM xx
Hi Yamini - Of late, nature seems to be a foul mood.
DeleteShocking indeed. But the rain may have played a part in the plane not catching fire...
ReplyDeleteDestination Infinity
Hi Rajesh - Definitely. Apparently the pilot, a decorated former IAF pilot - did everything to minimise the damage in case of a crash.
DeleteOh how sad, Pradeep. The tragedy of the mud slide was bad enough, but to add the plane crash to that as well is awful. I've never heard of a table top airport before. That must require immense skill on landing and taking. How terrible that the rain caused the plane to skid like that. My condolences to everyone in India, particularly those involved.
ReplyDeleteHi Vallypee - Thank you. Table top airports are mostly in hilly places. There's no compromise on the length of the runway, which is an international standard. However, in such airports, there is no buffer in the form of an open land if the plane overshoots the runway.
DeleteHi Pradeep - the landslides and amounts of rain you've been getting sound really treacherous ...
ReplyDelete... the plane - there's not a lot one can say - a really difficult landing place, appalling weather ... and just so sad - especially as it was a repatriation flight ... I always feel for workers who by necessity go overseas to work ...
My thoughts - Hilary
It was indeed a tragic day in Kerala. This year just keeps adding miseries. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteHi Pradeep
ReplyDeleteI came to know about these disasters in the news ... Really terrible .... had been to Munnar in 2018 Dec....the havoc caused by the previous rains were still evident then ...
It is really tragic...and then the rains, I have relatives in Kerala who called to say how the rains have been...hope this time the state is better equipped to handle the situation.
ReplyDeleteLet me be honest I was to be in that flight. Yes you read it right .
ReplyDeleteReally tragic and so sad
ReplyDeleteWhat heartbreaking incidents! I'm shocked. Those 'tabletop' runways sound like a tragedy waiting to happen. For what it's worth, I've said a prayer that more survivors are found.
ReplyDelete