DK District administration to hold memorial service for victims of IX-812

Mangaluru: Thirteen years ago, on May 22, Mangaluru witnessed one of India’s worst air crashes. The Air India Express flight IX-812 from Dubai to Mangaluru crashed while landing at the Mangalore airport at 6:05 am on May 22, 2010.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, with 166 people on board, overshot the runway and crashed into the valley before bursting into flames. There were only 8 survivors and the rest on board the aircraft perished that day. Due to the severity of the crash, many could not be identified and were buried in a mass grave on the banks of the Phalguni River at Kuloor.

Like every year, the Dakshina Kannada administration has planned a memorial service to pay tributes to the crash victims at the “Memorial Park” at Thannirbavi on May 22 at 9 AM.

Elusive ‘fair’ compensation 

In the aftermath, Air India Express appointed Mumbai-based Mulla and Mulla Associates led by legal expert H T Nanavati as their solicitors to oversee compensation to the families of the victims. The next of kin of 147 passengers received the compensation decided based on various parameters including financial position and age of the deceased.

However, the families of some of the crash victims approached the courts pleading for fair compensation as per the provisions of the Montreal Convention. Even after 13 years, about 45 families are still fighting the legal case.