KARIPPUR: Kerala Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel has confirmed 18 deaths in the Kozhikode airport plane accident.
The dead bodies have been shifted to Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. "COVID tests will be conducted on dead bodies. Post mortem of the COVID 19 negative persons will then be conducted. Around 15 people are under treatment with severe injuries in various hospitals. Many people with minor injuries were discharged from the hospitals on Friday night itself," said Jaleel.
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The rescue operations in the accident were completed by Friday midnight. Airport authorities, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local people led the rescue operations. "Immediately after the incident, we could start the rescue operations. The joint efforts of all departments and the local people made the rescue operations smoother," said Minister for Local Self Governments A C Moideen said.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has visited the airport in the morning. The DGCA authorities have begun an investigation to find out the reason behind the accident. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan, health minister KK Shailaja, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and state police chief Lokanath Behera will also visit the accident spot in the morning.
Names of the passengers who died in the accident:
1. Mohammad Riyaz VP (24), Palakkad
2. Shaheer Ziyad (38), Malappuram
3. Lailabi K V (51), Malappuram
4. Rajeevan Chekkaraparamabil (61), Kozhikode
5. Manal Ahammad (25), Kozhikode
6. Sharafuddeen (35), Kozhikode
7. Janaki Kunnoth (55), Kozhikode
8. Azam Mohammad Chembayi (1), Kozhikode
9. Shantha Marakkat (59), Malappuram
10. Akhilesh Kumar (Co-pilot)
11. Deepak Sathe (Pilot)
12. Sudheer Variyath (45), Malappuram
13. Shaiza Fathima (2), Malappuram
14. Ramya Muraleedhran (32), Kozhikode
15. Ayisha Dua (2), Palakkad
16. Shivathmika (5), Kozhikode
17. Shenobia (40), Kozhikode
18. Shahina Bhanu (29), Kozhikode