Air India to give Rs.10 lakh interim relief to crash victims

MANGALORE - Air India Sunday said it would give Rs.10 lakh each to the families of those aged 12 years and above killed in the Mangalore crash and Rs.5 lakh to those below 12.

This is an interim monetary relief pending the finalisation of full compensation, Air India head Arvind Jadhav said.

He also said that Rs.200,000 will be given to each injured in Saturday’s plane crash in Mangalore, in which 158 people were killed. Only eight passengers survived the air disaster, the country’s worst in a decade.

“This (the compensation) is over and above the ex gratia relief announced by Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh),” Jadhav told reporters.

He said the interim relief was decided after Air India held talks with an insurance company. “Finalising the rest of the compensation will take time and that compensation will be adjusted with the interim compensation,” he noted.

The Air India chief managing director said that any dispute related to claiming of the compensation will be settled with the local administration.

Jadhav appealed to the media to observe restraint and not speculate about the causes that led to the IX 812 Dubai-Mangalore flight to crash.

“Speculations will hinder (the compensation process). It will have international ramifications. This is a tragic incident,” he said.

Asked about the initial probe report if any, Jadhav said he was here to attend to the families of the victims and ensure they get proper response from the airline.

“I have interacted with the injured. We have a response team and they will act as counsellors. My heart goes out to them (families of the victims),” he added.