Rajesh Ranjan, Director General, CISF on Saturday, 8 August, announced that the DG’s commendation DISC will be awarded to Assistant Sub Inspectors Ajit Singh and Mangal Singh and Chief Airport Security Officer, CISF Calicut Airport, Deputy Commandant Kishor Kumar, “in recognition of their outstanding efforts” in saving lives from a plane crash at Kozhikode airport on Friday.
Air India flight (IX-1344) from Dubai carrying 190 passengers skidded off the runway during landing at Karipur Airport in Kozhikode, Kerala on Friday, killing at least 18 people.
In a press release, Apoorv Pandey, CISF Public Relations Officer, described what happened when the Air India Express flight skidded off and wrote:
“Assistant Sub-Inspector, Mangal Singh performing duty at gate number 8, and Assistant Sub-Inspector Ajit Singh, carrying out patrolling in the area, who were near the spot responded immediately. The message was passed to the CISF control room, who in turn informed the message to ATC Tower, AAI Fire Wing, senior officers of CISF, district authorities and other agencies.”
‘Healthy and Exhaustive Efforts’
The press release also stated that, “In the mean time, around 40 CISF personnel lead by Dy Commandant/CASO, Kishor Kumar A V, reached the spot and started evacuating the passengers during heavy downpour.”
Further describing how the rescue operations took place with Airport Authority of India officials, local police and an NDRF team coming together, Pandey wrote, that help came in from all quarters including from CISF unit lines, barrack personnel, and people who stayed outside the airport campus, “regardless (of) heavy rain”.
“With the healthy and exhaustive efforts of CISF, AAI fire service, district administration, local police and NDRF, 190 trapped and injured crew members and passengers were evacuated from the site and victims were shifted to hospitals after providing necessary first aid to the needy.”Press release
CISF has done excellent work, said the press release, in rescuing passengers, arranging ambulance and other vehicles.
DG Commendation DISC Awardees
“By the time other agencies arrived at the crash site, CISF had already evacuated majority of passengers. The Chief Airport Security Officer, CISF Calicut Airport, Dy Commandant, Kishor Kumar A V reached the site within 20 minutes and mobilised men and material, because of which the passengers could be shifted quickly for treatment, and evacuation was done within two hours.”Apoorv Pandey
The press release also said that “Assistant Sub-Inspector, Ajit Singh, in-charge of CISF patrolling team and Assistant Sub-Inspector, Mangal Singh performing duty near the crash site, showed exemplary alertness and presence of mind by alerting the Control Room and guiding the CISF rescue team to the site”.
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