Mangalore crash survivor: I don’t feel like living anymore

Yes, the charred bodies that the air crash left behind have many heart rendering stories to tell. Like that of Shailesh Rao Brahmavara, who was flying in for a last glimpse of his mother Nirada Rao, who died in Udupi on Friday.

He and his wife, Manisha were in Mangalore until Thursday as Nirada Rao was seriously ill. They flew back to Dubai on Thursday and on Friday, were informed of the mother’s death.

Manisha did not get a ticket for the doomed flight, and Shailesh went alone. Now, his father, Yathindra is at the Wenlock hospital, looking for his son’s body in the mortuary. The double tragedy has shattered the family completely, says family friend Naveen.

Mohammad, who manages a medical store in Bajpe, is in a shock. He lost 27 family members, including four children and extended family. He told DNA that they were coming to attend the last rites of one of the family seniors who had died in Udupi on last Sunday. “I don’t feel like living anymore,” he said as he struggled to speak.

Mervin Diaz and Clifford Diaz, these brothers lost their mother and sister in the crash. Mervin told DNA that his sister, Lollita Diaz, and mother, Lilly Diaz, were coming to Mangalore to attend the wedding of his cousin. In fact, Mervin was supposed to accompany them but couldn’t get a ticket on the same flight. So he took an earlier flight on Friday. Inconsolable, Mervin was crying to his brother Clifford, why God spared him and not Lily and Lollita.

For Harinakshi, Saturday morning was supposed to be a big day, when she was going to see an air plane for the first time. She was from a nearby village, and had never been to the airport earlier. She had come to receive her niece, Chetana, who was coming alone to Mangalore for the first time. When the plane crashed and all hell broke lose, Harinakshi was begging every official who passed by her for information. This DNA reporter had to intervene, and officials said that Chetana wasn’t one of the survivors. Harinakshi then had to go back home to fetch her relatives to find Chetana’s body.

Many of the dead were from northern Kerala. According to health minister of Kerala PK Srimathi, it was officially confirmed that 101 passengers were from north Kerala areas like Kasargod, Nileshwar and Manjeshwar.

She said most of them were working in construction, oil rigs, merchant navy or as domestic helps. Some were salespersons and a few worked in the government offices in Dubai. She said Kerala state will observe two days of mourning.