Dubai: "One minute we were happy and the very next minute we were in tears," said an eyewitness who saw the plane burst into flame after it touched down at Mangalore airport.
"For a second there was silence at the airport and the next minute there was pandemonium," said Kishore Hiramal. "People who had come to the airport to receive their family members were seen dashing into the no entry area at the airport. It was around 6.10am IST when the plane went off the runway and burst into flames."
Hiramal was there to receive his relatives who were flying down from Dubai for a short trip. "I won't be able to tell anything about them without confirming their fate."
Robert D'souza who was at the airport to receive his sister said: "The plane burst into flames. I went numb not knowing what to do. I got pushed by people who were running in and out of the airport and that's when the tragedy hit home. In just minutes we had ambulances and police all over the place. Before I could call home my wife telephoned me. She was crying and asking whether I had seen my sister-in-law. The plane was in pieces and had turned into a ball of fire. I knew the chances for her survival were very dim."
