An Air India Express Boeing 737 skidded off the runway in Kerala, India, and broke apart while landing in heavy rains, killing at least 16 passengers and crew, India media is reporting. The plane was arriving from Dubai, and onboard were 190 passengers returning from the Middle East where they were staying due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. At press times the nature of those restrictions or which country imposed them is not clear.
There are also reports that the captain of the Boeing jet was killed in the crash after the jet overshot the runway and crashed into obstructions, causing the plane to break apart.
In 2010 another Air India Express 737-800, Flight 812, overran the runway in Magalore and traveled down a hillside catching fire and killing 158 passengers and crew members. The captain, who was the pilot flying, ignored callouts from the first officer to go around.
In this more recent crash Indian authorities including first responders were quickly on the scene, and around a hundred injured passengers have been transported to local hospitals. Indian aviation authorities are investigating.
