Dubai: Three Sharjah Indian School students were injured in the Air India Express flight crash in Kozhikode in the south Indian state of Kerala on Friday evening.
The students, all siblings, are recouping at a local hospital and said to be out of danger.
Pramod Mahajan, principal, Sharjah Indian School has confirmed to Gulf News that the three students — all siblings are in stable condition and are being treated at the Aster MIMS — Calicut hospital.
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The students including two sisters and a brother, have been identified as Ishal Chullikullavan (grade 10 student), Insha Chullikulavan (grade 5 student) and Mohammad Zishan Chullikulavan (grade 3 student).
“The entire staff of Sharjah Indian School and myself are thankful that the children and their mother who travelled on the fatal flight are safe. Our staff members have spoken to the mother and children and they are in stable condition,” said Mahajan.
At least 18 people including the pilot and co-pilot were dead when Air India Express flight IX 1344, a COVID-19 special repatriation flight under India’s Vande Bharat Mission, skidded off and overshot the tabletop runway at the Calicut International Airport in the South Indian state of Kerala on Friday. The flight carrying 184 passengers and six crew members plunged into a valley and broke into two pieces around 7.40pm.
“We were in shock to hear three of our students were on the flight and we practically spent a sleepless night following up on their condition. The parents of the children had taken a transfer certificate for the children as they were returning to India for good.”
Mahajan said the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the UAE has destroyed the lives of many. “These children would not have been on the flight or would not have left our school, had the pandemic not affected people so badly.”
He said the students are very bright. Ishal, the oldest child of the three siblings was particularly bright. “She passed her grade 10 board exams with flying colours, scoring a 95 per cent mark. She stood tenth in the overall school ranking. Ishal is a very bright and hard-working girl. We miss her at school. Her siblings are very bright as well and chirpy, full of life and energy. We are happy the children and their mother are safe.”
Mahajan said the school is in touch with the family along with Indian associations in Sharjah to render any help to the family at the hospital in Calicut.
