Mumbai:
Hundred fifty-eight persons were killed in India's worst air disaster in over a decade. The Air India Express flight, a plane of Air India's low budget carrier was flying from Dubai to Mangalore with 160 passengers and six crew members on board.
On landing the plane overshot the runway, went down a ravine and burst into flames.
Eight persons miraculously survived the crash, but not all were that lucky.
Harshini Poonja, media student
Age: 17
"I'm not done becoming me yet." This is what the profile of 17 year-old Dubai student Harshini Poonja read. The teenager and her parents were on their way to Mangalore for a family wedding. Her mother Manirekha was an employee with the financial department of a Dubai-based firm. Her father Shashikant also died in the crash.
Twitter users posted condolence messages addressed to her username. Her last tweet read, "At the airport and blah. Only thing to look forward to is the rain."
Mahesh Shetty, sales executive
Age: 28
Mahesh Shetty was about to begin a whole new chapter in his life when fate intervened. The young sales executive who'd been working in Dubai for only a short time, was to meet a girl - one his parents had chosen to marry him to. Sarvotham Shetty of the Karnataka Sangha in Abu Dhabi was shocked.
"Everything was ready, he was only going down to see his parents. They can't believe it. They had only spoken to him a day before," said Sarvotham, who is now in the process of organising a condolence meet for those who've passed away in the crash.
Nancy Barreto, domestic servant working in Dubai
Age: 45
Nancy Barreto (45) was to visit her ailing husband Anthony, admitted in the ICU of Manipal Hospital but succumbed to severe burn injuries in the crash. Her neighbour Jerry D'souza said, "Nancy was employed as a maid for the last 20 years in Dubai and had returned to Dubai only last week."
The childless couple was staying in a village in Kullur district. Nancy was supporting her husband financially, since he lost his job a couple of years ago. Anthony has a serious liver problem and doctors have almost given up their hope. "So, we had to call Nancy, but were shocked to find her name amongst the dead. She was earning approximate Rs 25,000 monthly," said Jerry.
Flavia Lobo, housewife
Age: 39
The Lobos had cut their Dubai holiday short, not knowing this would be the last time they spent together. Flavia's husband Vincent had been working in Dubai for more than five years, when she and the children visited him last month.
Her sister Nancy who lives in Ooty said, "They decided to come back early for the children's admission." Travelling with their mother were Venisha (15) and Vishal (9). None survived.
Vasant G Shetty
A stroke of luck or divine intervention, Vasant G Shetty will never know. However Shetty couldn't help thanking his lucky stars on Saturday morning when he was rudely awakened by his ringing cellphone and switched on the television to watch the horror of IX-812 unfold.
Shetty was booked for the ill-fated flight but his tickets were unconfirmed. Thinking that he wouldn't get the early morning flight, Shetty packed his bags for the afternoon flight and fell asleep last night. "My sister's marriage was on May 30. All my relatives called to ask if I was okay and I couldn't believe that I would have been on that flight if I had gone to Dubai airport on Friday night," said the 25 year-old AC technician who has been working with a private firm.
On landing the plane overshot the runway, went down a ravine and burst into flames.
Eight persons miraculously survived the crash, but not all were that lucky.
Harshini Poonja, media student
Age: 17
"I'm not done becoming me yet." This is what the profile of 17 year-old Dubai student Harshini Poonja read. The teenager and her parents were on their way to Mangalore for a family wedding. Her mother Manirekha was an employee with the financial department of a Dubai-based firm. Her father Shashikant also died in the crash.
Twitter users posted condolence messages addressed to her username. Her last tweet read, "At the airport and blah. Only thing to look forward to is the rain."
Mahesh Shetty, sales executive
Age: 28
Mahesh Shetty was about to begin a whole new chapter in his life when fate intervened. The young sales executive who'd been working in Dubai for only a short time, was to meet a girl - one his parents had chosen to marry him to. Sarvotham Shetty of the Karnataka Sangha in Abu Dhabi was shocked.
"Everything was ready, he was only going down to see his parents. They can't believe it. They had only spoken to him a day before," said Sarvotham, who is now in the process of organising a condolence meet for those who've passed away in the crash.
Nancy Barreto, domestic servant working in Dubai
Age: 45
Nancy Barreto (45) was to visit her ailing husband Anthony, admitted in the ICU of Manipal Hospital but succumbed to severe burn injuries in the crash. Her neighbour Jerry D'souza said, "Nancy was employed as a maid for the last 20 years in Dubai and had returned to Dubai only last week."
The childless couple was staying in a village in Kullur district. Nancy was supporting her husband financially, since he lost his job a couple of years ago. Anthony has a serious liver problem and doctors have almost given up their hope. "So, we had to call Nancy, but were shocked to find her name amongst the dead. She was earning approximate Rs 25,000 monthly," said Jerry.
Flavia Lobo, housewife
Age: 39
The Lobos had cut their Dubai holiday short, not knowing this would be the last time they spent together. Flavia's husband Vincent had been working in Dubai for more than five years, when she and the children visited him last month.
Her sister Nancy who lives in Ooty said, "They decided to come back early for the children's admission." Travelling with their mother were Venisha (15) and Vishal (9). None survived.
Vasant G Shetty
A stroke of luck or divine intervention, Vasant G Shetty will never know. However Shetty couldn't help thanking his lucky stars on Saturday morning when he was rudely awakened by his ringing cellphone and switched on the television to watch the horror of IX-812 unfold.
Shetty was booked for the ill-fated flight but his tickets were unconfirmed. Thinking that he wouldn't get the early morning flight, Shetty packed his bags for the afternoon flight and fell asleep last night. "My sister's marriage was on May 30. All my relatives called to ask if I was okay and I couldn't believe that I would have been on that flight if I had gone to Dubai airport on Friday night," said the 25 year-old AC technician who has been working with a private firm.
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