Russian president condoles Air India deaths

Moscow, May 22 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Saturday offered his condolences after a plane crash killed 158 people near India’s Mangalore city.

“I was shaken by the news of the tragedy,” Medvedev said in a message to his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“Together with the Indian people we mourn the many victims,” Medvedev said. “I ask you to pass on my condolences to the families and friends of those who perished and my wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.”

The commander of the crashed Air India plane, which was flying from Dubai, was a Briton of Serbian origin. First reports had said he was a Russian.

–IANS/RIA Novosti