Air India ropes in disaster management firm

Besides setting up an emergency assistance team (EAT), national carrier Air India (AI) has sought help from Kenyon International Emergency Services (KIES) to deal with the current crisis.

A KIES team is in Mangalore on a three-day visa, which could be extended if need be.

KIES is a 100-year-old disaster management company that helps governments and businesses around the world in dealing with crisis situations.

AI has recovered bodies of 158 of the 166 people who died in the IX 812 Dubai-Mangalore plane crash, but 87 bodies had been identified at last count. “We have set up an EAT and assigned one member each to the families of survivors and deceased. These are counsellors,” a spokesperson for AI said.

“The KIES team has arrived with 30 kits which contain material to carry out forensic tests, among other things. If needed, we will get their visas extended,” the spokesperson said.

The team comprises medical examiners, coroners, police officers, funeral directors, embalmers, social workers, mental health and military professionals.

Kenyon will advise AI on accident response — its disaster human services experts will assist the families of passengers and disaster recovery specialists will help with recovery, identification, repatriation of human remains and return of personal belongings.

The services of KIES were also sought after the Afriqiyah Airways crash in Tripoli on May 12. The plane was on final approach with 103 people on board and crashed while landing. There were no survivors, except for a 10-year-old boy.