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At least 18 dead as Air India repatriation flight crashes on landing
At least 18 people were killed and dozens injured after an Air India Express passenger plane repatriating Indians stranded by the COVID-19 pandemic overshot the runway in heavy rain near the southern city of Kozhikode, officials said.
The Boeing-737 flight from Dubai to Calicut airport was carrying 190 passengers and crew, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement. Among them were 10 infants.
Television footage showed rescue workers moving around the wreckage in pouring rain. The aircraft lay split into at least two chunks after the plane’s fuselage sheared apart as it fell into a valley 30 feet below, authorities said.
“Unfortunately, 16 people have lost their lives. I offer my condolences to their next of kin and pray for speedy recovery of the injured,” Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in a tweet.
Friday’s crash is the worst passenger aircraft accident in the country since 2010, when an Air India Express flight, also from Dubai, overshot the runway and slid down a hill while landing in the southern Indian city of Mangalore, killing 158 people.
Both Mangalore and Calicut have table-top runways that are located at an altitude and have steep drops at one or both ends of the runway.
Media reports suggested the plane skidded off the runway of Calicut international airport, crashing nose-first into the ground. Calicut is in the southern state of Kerala, home to a large number of Indians working in the Middle East.
Puri said rescue operations had been completed and all passengers had been removed from the aircraft. Police said earlier four people were stuck in the wreckage.
The civil aviation ministry said in a statement there was no fire on board.
India, which shut down all air travel in late March to try to contain the novel coronavirus, has restarted limited international air travel.
Air India Express AXB1344, was a government-operated repatriation flight for Indians previously unable to return home because of the travel restrictions.
TV visuals showed the aircraft’s nose smashed into a brick wall, with much of the middle of the plane pulverised.
Local TV news channels showed passengers, some of them lying motionless on stretchers, brought into a hospital surrounded by health workers wearing masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Pained by the plane accident in Kozhikode” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. “My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest,” he said.
Source: Rueters
At least two civilians have been killed and eight others wounded following fresh shelling by Pakistan across the disputed Durand Line in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, local authorities said Wednesday.
Officials reported that over the past 24 hours, Pakistani forces fired approximately 85 rockets targeting residential areas across several districts, causing damage to civilian homes and heightening fears among local communities.
According to Zia-ur-Rahman Spin Ghar, head of information at the provincial Directorate of Information and Culture, the heaviest casualties were recorded in Nari district, where one civilian was killed and six others injured. In Sarkano district, another civilian lost their life, while two more people were wounded.
Additional rockets struck areas including Shultan, Marawara, and the outskirts of Asadabad. While no casualties were reported in those strikes, residents described widespread panic and property damage.
Escalating tensions
The latest incident comes amid a broader escalation in cross-Durand Line violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent weeks. Residents in frontier provinces have repeatedly reported shelling, displacement, and disruption to daily life.
Spin Ghar also confirmed that Afghan forces responded with retaliatory strikes, claiming to have destroyed three Pakistani military outposts and killed one Pakistani soldier. There has been no immediate confirmation from Pakistani authorities.
Growing humanitarian concerns
The ongoing hostilities have raised concerns about civilian safety in these areas where communities often find themselves caught in the crossfire. Aid groups warn that continued shelling could lead to further displacement and strain already limited local resources.
With no clear signs of de-escalation, observers say urgent dialogue is needed to prevent further civilian casualties and stabilize the volatile region.
At the 95th Standing Committee of UNHCR, the European Union and its Member States called for urgent de-escalation of tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, stressing the need for dialogue and respect for international law.
In a statement, the EU urged all sides to avoid further escalation, ensure the protection of civilians, and uphold territorial integrity. It also reiterated that Afghan soil should not be used to threaten or attack other countries, calling on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to take effective action against militant groups operating within or from the country.
The bloc further expressed concern over the broader humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, highlighting restrictions that continue to affect the work of international organizations and humanitarian partners.
A key issue raised was the return of more than four million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan over the past two years, which the EU said has placed additional strain on Afghanistan’s already fragile economy and public services. It voiced particular concern over forced deportations and emphasized the importance of respecting the right to seek asylum and the principle of non-refoulement.
A group of religious scholars from Afghanistan and Pakistan have called on authorities in both countries to extend the pause in hostilities, initially announced for Eid ul-Fitr, until Eid ul-Adha.
The appeal comes after Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s Information Minister, announced a temporary ceasefire from March 18–19 midnight until March 23–24 midnight.
In a joint statement signed by 11 Pakistani clerics and as many Afghan clerics, the scholars emphasized that their initiative aims to promote a sustainable and dignified resolution to tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, Dawn newspaper reported.
The clerics urged both Pakistani authorities and the Afghan side to extend the ceasefire to allow pilgrims to perform Hajj in a peaceful environment. They added that this “peace movement” goes beyond the ceasefire appeal and includes broader diplomatic and social efforts to resolve longstanding issues between the two countries.
The scholars expressed hope that their efforts would lead to a mutually acceptable solution and help lay the foundation for lasting stability and regional harmony.
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