DHAKA, Aug 9, 2020 (BSS) – Bangladesh has expressed deep shock at the loss of lives following an Air India plane crash at an airport in Indian southern Kerala state, killing at least 18 people and wounding nearly 150.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen wrote a letter to his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar on Saturday and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved families and the people of India on behalf of the people of Bangladesh, the government and on his own behalf.
The Foreign Minister also prayed for quick recovery of the injured, according to a press release issued by Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi received here.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam also talked to Indian Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan over phone and expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives.
He also conveyed deep sympathy to the family members of the victims and enquired about the injured Indian citizens.
The crash took place when the Air India Express Boeing 737 from Dubai – a coronavirus evacuation flight – plunged off the runway down an embankment in heavy rain in Kozhikode.
Officials said that 191 passengers and crew were on board the plane that plummeted 10 metres (35 feet) off the so-called tabletop runway – which can be tricky to land on – in Kerala state.