May 22, 2010
An Air India plane overshot a runway and crashed in flames Saturday near the southern city of Mangalore, killing 160 people after a handful of survivors managed to escape the burning wreckage.
Officials say that against the odds, eight people have survived.
Earlier, it was reported that one of the survivors had died on the way to hospital, but officials say this is not the case.
Flames were seen blazing from the wreckage as firefighters fought to bring the inferno under control.
Two rescue workers were seen running up a hill carrying a young girl covered in foam. She was later treated for severe burns in hospital.
Other rescuers pulled out scores of burned bodies from the blackened tangle of aircraft cables, twisted metal and charred trees at the crash site.
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Abhay Pathak, a regional manager for Air India based in Dubai, said there were 160 passengers on board the plane and six crew members.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced financial aid for the victims Saturday and canceled scheduled events at his residence to mark the end of his first year in office.
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