Plane crash site serves as strong reminder of the tragedy

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, May 11: The site of the tragic plane crash of May 22, 2010, which claimed the lives of 158 passengers and crew, still attracts a number of people, many of who express regrets that the plaque bearing the names of those who died in the crash still remains broken and unrepaired. The stand on which the plaque stood, as a memorial to those who died in the crash, looks empty and forlorn.

 

The site of the crash still has things that strongly remind viewers of the tragic incident and the lives lost. Clothes, slippers, tooth brushes, shoes, and molten remains of the ill-fated aircraft are scattered all around. The plastic tapes used by the police to cordon off the area are still visible. The charred coconut trees in the vicinity remind one of the intensity of the fire that raged following the crash.

Although the police still haven’t made any arrests with regard to the destruction of the memorial, they do suspect a few people. Mangalore Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said that it is difficult to post a policeman to guard the memorial, adding that the memorial should be constructed in such a manner that it cannot be destroyed.

 

Expressing his sadness that the memorial has not yet been restored, Mohammed Beary, the president of the Mangalore Air Crash Victims’ Families Association, said that the family members of the victims still feel attached to the site because it reminds them of the tragic incident. A memorial will serve as a warning to pilots and will prevent such tragedies from taking place in future, he added.

An Air India (AI) Express spokesperson said that the organization has been working out the possibilities of constructing a permanent memorial at the air crash site and that a decision will be taken before May 21.