Mangalore: Tributes Paid to Air Crash Victims with Solemn Prayer at Crash Site

Mangalore - 22 May 2011: Two minutes of silence spoke a lot at the air crash site at Kenjar, Bajpe on Sunday May 22 morning.

The site of the tragic Air India crash was enveloped in an atmosphere of solemn grief as local leaders, airport authorities and others gathered to offer a silent prayer to those who died in the crash exactly a year ago.The prayers and tributes were offered exactly at 6.20 am on Sunday May 22, to coincide with the timing of the crash.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, state assembly deputy speaker Yogish Bhat, additional deputy commissioner Prabhakar Sharma, airport director M R Vasudeva, Air India chief operating officer S Chandrakumar, local station manager Chellam Prasad and other officials and staff of Air India paid a floral tribute to the departed souls. They lit candles on a platform erected at the site to pay tributes.

The victims' kin who were also present placed wreaths on the platform and paid their respect to their loved ones.

At 11 am, Air India will hold a simultaneous silent prayer in all its 96 centres across the country, said Chandrakumar speaking on the occasion.

He also said that the local gram panchayat has been asked to make a proposal to build a memorial building consisting of a reading room and a community hall near Maravoor. He said Air India Express will bear 90 percent of the cost and gram panchayat would bear the rest.