2010 M'luru Plane Crash Victims' Kin Continue Battle for Compensation

Many allege they received only a fraction of the assured ₹75 lakh per deceased person

- POOJA NAIR @Kozhikode

FIFTEEN years after the tragic Mangaluru air disaster, families of the victims continue to wage an uphill legal battle demanding rightful compensation as mandated under the Montreal Convention.

Despite initial assurances of ₹75 lakh per deceased passenger, many kin allege they have received only a fraction of the legally entitled amount, forcing them to seek justice through the judiciary.

The 2010 crash of Air India Express Flight IX-812, a Boeing 737-800 arriving from Dubai, remains one of India's deadliest air disasters.

The aircraft overshot the table-top runway at Mangaluru International Airport and plunged into a gorge, killing 158 of the 166 passengers and crew on board.

Krishnan, one of the bereaved family members and a petitioner in a case before the Kerala High Court, expressed anguish over the meagre payouts.

"We lost everything that day including our loved ones, our savings, and our future. Yet the compensation offered is a mere token. It's an insult to our loss," he said.

Alongside him, Mayankutty and dozens of others have also filed legal petitions contesting the compensation process.