A family of five, returning to their hometown at Koducalli in Kozhikode from Dubai, were aboard the fateful Air India Express flight that crash-landed at the Kozhikode airport claiming at least 18 lives on Friday.
Saifudheen, 40, is a businessman in Dubai. During the vacation when schools were closed there, his wife Fasalunnisa travelled, along with their children Muhammad Shahil, Fathima Sana and Aysha Shanza, to meet her husband.
On Friday, they were all travelling in the Air India aircraft back to Kozhikode.
All five received injuries and have been admitted to the Baby Memorial Hospital Kozhikode, except for Sana who is admitted to Al Shifa Hospital at Perinthalmanna in Malappuram.
"Saifudheen is my uncle. He and his family members were returning from Dubai when this unfortunate incident occurred. We were informed about the mishap at 8 pm. Now the family members have been shifted to Baby Memorial Hospital and everyone is fine," Muhammad Salih, nephew of Saifudheen, told ANI.
The death toll in the plane at Kozhikode International Airport in Kerala rose to 18, including two pilots, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday.
The minister said he will visit the Kozhikode airport to take stock of the situation.
Two special relief flights have been arranged from Delhi and one from Mumbai for rendering humanitarian assistance to all the passengers and the family members.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Flight Safety Departments have reached to investigate the incident, Air India Express has stated.
Photograph: PTI Photo.
