Praful Patel to brief PM on crash

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has been monitoring the Air India crash at Mangalore since morning, will be briefed about the search and rescue operations by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel later in the evening.

Patel, who went to Mangalore Saturday morning soon after crash, will fly be back to the capital and also order an inquiry into the mishap, officials said. A priliminary inquiry has already been ordered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

The prime minister condoled the loss of lives in the air crash and ordered compensation of Rs.200,000 for the families of the dead and Rs.50,000 for the injured.

He also postponed an event scheduled at his official residence Saturday evening to celebrate his government’s first year in office during its second tenure.

At least 159 people were killed when an Air India Express Boeing 737 with 166 passengers and crew flying from Dubai overshot the runway while landing at the Mangalore airport and turned into a ball of fire as it crashed into a forested ravine.