Kerala's Kasargode in shock after losing 40 locals

Kasargode, the northernmost district of Kerala, was on Sunday reeling under the shock of losing 40 of its natives in the Mangalore air crash, as bodies began to arrive for burial. There is hardly a village in the district not touched by the tragedy, where hundreds of families live on the money sent by their near and dear ones working in Gulf countries.

"No one has yet recovered from the deep shock left by the tragedy. There are families still waiting for the bodies of their kin to reach," Union minister E Ahamed said at the house of a victim at Uppala.

While as many as 50 Keralites were killed in the crash, locals said the figure could be higher.

Most of the victims are Muslims and the deceased include Kasargode Joint Jama-ath Council Secretary Kaleel Ibrahim Thalankara, an influential community leader and social figure. According to local politicians and social workers, there are several villages in the area where at least one member of each family works in the Gulf.

"The moment the news of the tragedy broke, we knew that the majority of the victims would be from here because they mostly depend on Mangalore for air travel, as it is the nearest airport," said Unnikrishnan, a local journalist.

In the last couple of weeks, there has been an increase in home-bound travelers from the Middle East as it is the wedding season, he said. Those who died included would-be grooms and those on their way to attend weddings.