HYDERABAD: Had it not been for the alert Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed at the Calicut International Airport, the casualties in the Air India Express plane crash on Friday could have been higher.
Assistant sub-inspectors Mangal Singh and Ajith Singh, who were deployed close to the crash site, were the first to see the plane crashing down from the table top runway, located around 45 feet above f rom their place of deployment.
“We were shell-shocked and initially couldn’t figure out what was crashing down,” they say.
“They sounded an emergency and opened the Gate No. 8 near the crash site to allow locals to join the rescue. This minimised casualties,” said CV Anand, Inspector General CISF for Airports (South West Sector).
Mangal Singh was posted at the emergency Gate No. 8 on the perimeter wall and Ajeet Singh was patrolling the perimeter.
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The aircraft which came hurtling down halted near the emergency gate. The body broke into two and the cockpit crashed into the perimeter wall, while the separated body of the flight slid down and stopped just ahead of the wall.
The two ASIs alerted Airport Control and other departments. Within a few minutes, Chief Airport Security Officer Kishore Kumar joined the rescue along with other staff.
Despite heavy rain and darkness, they began evacuating passengers from the wreckage.
“Shifting the injured in CISF vehicles before the ambulances arrived and searching for passengers using highend flashlights played a vital role in minimising casualties,” said Anand. On being alerted about the crash, Anand mobilised local police,airport staff and ambulances.
Both receive DG discs for bravery
For their brave act, assistant sub-inspectors Kishore Kumar, Mangal Singh and Ajeet Singh were awarded the DGs disc by DG CISF Rajesh Ranjan.