Fish merchant B.H. Aboobacker from Malpe could hardly find time earlier to attend the annual service in memory of the Mangaluru air crash victims’ here.
Mr. Aboobacker’s second son Naveed Ibrahim (23) was among the 158 persons who died in the crash on May 22, 2010. However, he made it a point to attend the memorial service this time.
“Though I wanted to attend the programme earlier, for one or the other reason, I could not do it,” said the 65-year-old. “We are yet to come to terms with the loss of Naveed. The tragedy still haunts,” he said.
Mr. Aboobacker was the lone representative of the family members of the victims at the memorial function held at the new 22/5 park in Kuloor on Sunday. The park has been developed by the New Mangalore Port Trust on the land where 12 unidentified air crash victims were buried.
Memories
Maxim D’Silva, the contractor hired by the Mangaluru City Corporation to bury charred unclaimed bodies, said that it was difficult to forget the days after the air crash. Many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition.
Though there were claimants, some bodies could not be handed over to relatives as DNAs did not match. Mr. D’Silva showed the place in the middle of the park where separate pits were dug for each of the 12 victims and buried with honours. District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim, Mangaluru International Airport director J. T. Radhakrishna, Air India Mangaluru Station manager Nagesh Shetty and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) K.M. Shantharaju participated in the programme.
Mr. Ibrahim said the park had been developed by the NMPT at a cost of Rs. 60 lakh.
A memorial will come up at the park at a cost of Rs. 9 lakh. The Air India and Airport Authority of India have been asked to share the cost of the memorial, he said.
Memorial will come up in the park at a cost of Rs. 9 lakh, says Deputy Commissioner
