Sixty-one-year old Cherikka Parambil Rajeevan, a Kozhikode native flying home from Dubai, was one of the first to be identified among the dead in the Karipur airport crash on Friday. The senior citizen had written in his application for the Vande Bharat Mission that he was not feeling well, had a salary cut, and wanted to meet his family. But that was not to be. He was among the 18 people who lost their lives in the flight crash at the tabletop airport.
The crash, coming close on heels of the mudslide in Idukki in Kerala killing several persons, has cast a terrible gloom over the state.
Among the 18 people who died are a pregnant woman, two pairs of mother and child, senior citizens and infants.
Twenty-five-year old Manal Ahamed of Nadapuram, Kozhikode was pregnant when she died. She had written in her application that she wanted the leave the country (Dubai) immediately and her visa was also about to expire soon. “Please help me to get a flight ticket ASAP,” Manal had written.
Another ill person to die was 51- year-old Lailabi, a stranded tourist from Malappuram in the UAE. Like Rajeevan, she wanted to come home, after feeling unwell. For her flight application, she had written: "I am here in Dubai on visiting visa with diabetes (medical condition); as my medicine is over I need to consult doctor back home and get the refill."
Muhammed Riyas VP, a 24-year-old worker in the United Arab Emirates, sealed his fate when he applied to go home to Palakkad a year ago. He wanted to go for a marriage function, he said in his application for the Vande Bharat Mission.
Job losses and visa expiries had led some to take the flight that would be their last. Santha Marakkat, 59-years-old, of Malappuram, was coming back after her visa had expired. So was 55-year-old Janaky Kunnoth of Kozhikode. Sudheer Variyath, was a 45 year old worker in the UAE who lost his job and was coming home to Malappuram.
Sheza Fathima, aged two, was one of the youngest to die. She was accompanying her mother Shahad Banu (26 years old) and brother Mohammed Shaheem (aged five) home to Malappuram.
Others who lost their lives in the crash are 40-year-old Zhenobia Puthiyapanthakalakam from Kozhikode, 29-year old Sahira Banu Manchara also from Kozhikode. Sahira's one year old baby Azam Muhamed Chembayi too could not be saved.
Another mother and child also died in the crash. Remya Muraleedharan, aged 32 years and her five year old Shivathmika could not make it to their home in Cheekkonnummal West, Kozhikode.
For 35-year-old Sharafudheen, one of the first identified to have died, it was a medical emergency that brought him home to Kozhikode.
Saheer Sayed, 38-years-old, of Malappuram, was coming home with his family.
The pilot Deepak Sathe and copilot Akhilesh Kumar have also passed away.
Full list of deceased (and their age):
Cherikka Parambil Rajeevan - 61
Manal Ahamed - 25
Lailabi - 51
Muhammed Riyas VP - 24
Santha Marakkat - 59
Janaky Kunnoth - 55
Sudheer Variyath - 45
Sheza Fathima - 2
Zhenobia Puthiyapanthakalakam - 40
Sahira Banu Manchara - 29
Azam Muhamed Chembayi - 1
Remya Muraleedharan - 32
Shivathmika - 5
Sharafudheen - 35
Saheer Sayed - 38
Deepak Sathe - Pilot
Akhilesh Kumar - Copilot