Kozhikode plane crash: Injured yet to come to terms with the loss

A year on, some of the injured in the Boeing 737 plane crash at the Kozhikode airport have nightmarish memories of the accident that turned their life topsy-turvy on August 7, 2020, besides being caught in long-drawn negotiations on compensation.

The plane operated by Air India Express and coming from Dubai overshot the runway at Kozhikode airport and broke into two, killing at least 21 people including the two pilots, and injuring many, some seriously.

There were 190 people on board the aircraft.

"The horrible sound of that crash is still echoing in my ears," said Ashik Perumbal, who was a passenger in the aircraft.

Ashik, hailing from Changaramkulam in Malappuram district, was working as a driver in the Gulf.

He suffered serious injuries on both shoulders in the accident. He underwent multiple surgical processes to fix his shoulders.

"Still I am struggling a lot both mentally and physically", he told PTI.

Ashik, who accepted the compensation offer made by the Air India Express, said it was after ''complicated negotiation procedures'' he signed the letter for compensation.

"I was not adequately compensated by the airline. A situation was created to compel me to sign the documents. I could not produce proper documents to claim the maximum compensation amount. Like me, there are many others who have undergone similar situations. The negotiators of the airline were very tough", he said.

The negotiators became tougher after they came to know that he was returning from the Gulf after becoming jobless, Ashik said.

His brother also suffered head injuries in the accident.

A passionate cricketer, Ashik lamented that he would not be able to play the game as he used to play it earlier.

"I don't think I will be able to drive the vehicle as was being done earlier", he said.

Like Ashik, many of the injured passengers are yet to recover from the trauma.

Thirty-year-old Mufeeda and her daughter from Perambra in Kozhikode district were also injured in the accident.

Mufeeda, who is still undergoing treatment for her multiple injuries, has not accepted the compensation offered by the Air India Express.

A software engineer by profession, Mufeeda, however, accepted the compensation offered to her three-and- a-half-year old daughter as she was not seriously injured.

"The negotiation with the company is still on. I want to submit some more documents", Mufeeda said.

Mufeeda, who suffered injuries in the head, left shoulder, legs and cervical spine, is still undergoing treatment.

All the expenses for the treatment are borne by Air India Express.

"Now I am not in a position to accept a job or do my household work", she told PTI.

The accident occurred when the Mufeeda returned to Kerala to sort out visa-related problems and renew it.

An Air India Express official said full and final compensation is based on a "proof of loss basis." "Basically, from the airline's side, we have completed the process of compensation. We have sent offer letters to all the passengers and to the next of kin of all the deceased passengers and whoever has till date accepted the offer, they all got their payment within 48 hours", the official told PTI.

"While interim compensation is a fixed amount, full and final compensation is variable. That is done on a proof of loss basis," the official said.

Shamsuddin from Pilassery near Kunnamangalam, who lost his younger brother Sharafuddin Pilassery in the plane crash, said the family is still in a state of shock.

"The accident occurred when we were eagerly waiting outside the airport to receive them. Unfortunately, a few moments later we received the news of the tragic accident," Shamsuddin said.

Sharafuddin, 34, his wife Amina Sherin, and their young daughter were travelling in the aircraft.

While Pilassery died on the spot, his wife and daughter suffered injuries. Sherin, who underwent multiple surgeries in a private hospital, is still under treatment.

"She is not able to walk. Around Rs 50 lakh was spent for the treatment of Sherin and daughter. All the expenses for the treatment are borne by the Air India Express", Shamsuddin said.

In a statement issued post the accident, the Air India Express authorities had claimed that the airline was adequately insured and will pay compensation in accordance with applicable law at the appropriate time.

The union government on Thursday informed Parliament that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's probe into the Air India Express plane crash at Kozhikode airport is likely to be completed this month.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh has said final compensation offers have been made to all the next of kin of the deceased passengers but none of the "next of kin has sent their acceptance as of date".

"Final compensation offers have been made to all the 165 injured passengers, out of which 73 passengers accepted the offer and have been paid a total amount of Rs 60.35 crore as the final settlement as of date," the minister has said.

According to Singh, the airline is awaiting acceptance offers from 92 injured passengers and the next of kin of 19 deceased passengers.