2020 Air India Crash: Crowds, including survivors, gather around wreckage at Kerala scrap yard

More than five years after the Karipur air disaster, the wreckage of Air India Express Flight 1344 has reached a scrap yard in Ongallur in Kerala’s Palakkad district, less than 70 km from where the crash occurred.

The aircraft, which arrived in the area last week, is now being dismantled at a scrap yard in Parappuram. The remains weigh more than 45 tonnes and only metal sections are left.

The flight had carried 184 passengers and six crew members from Dubai to Kozhikode as part of India’s Vande Bharat Mission, the government programme launched during the Covid pandemic to bring stranded citizens back home from abroad.

On 7 August 2020, the aircraft attempted to land at Karipur airport in heavy rain and poor visibility. It overshot the tabletop runway, plunged down a steep slope and broke apart. The crash killed 21 people and injured around 150 passengers.

Aircraft bought through auction and taken to scrap yard

After investigations were completed, authorities removed some key sections of the aircraft. Certain parts were earlier taken to Delhi for examination by the Central Industrial Security Force as part of the case probe.

Two months ago, a scrap dealer from Karakkad in Ongallur panchayat purchased the remaining wreckage through an online auction floated by the airline. Bidders from different parts of the country had participated.

The dismantling began soon after the wreckage was brought to the yard. Workers are now separating the structure into aluminium panels, copper wiring, tyres and other recyclable metals. Over the next few days, the aircraft will be completely taken apart and processed as scrap.

Survivors and curious visitors gather to see the remains

News that the wreckage had arrived in Ongallur quickly spread in the area, drawing many visitors. Residents, students and teachers have been coming to the yard to see the remains of the aircraft, including the cockpit and other recognisable sections.

Among those who visited was a passenger from Kalladippatta who had been on the same flight during the crash. Some people who were injured in the accident have also come to see the aircraft again.

For locals, the sight of the broken aircraft has become a reminder of the tragedy that once shook the country.

Pattambi and nearby Ongallur are known as major scrap hubs where materials ranging from tube lights and batteries to old vehicles and ship parts are dismantled for recycling. However, the arrival of a full aircraft has brought unusual attention to the yards.

In the coming days, once the dismantling is completed, the last physical traces of the Karipur air disaster will disappear.