MUMBAI, May 23 (IANS) - Over 30 hours after the Mangalore air accident, the black box of the ill-fated Boeing 737-800 aircraft was yet to be recovered from its charred debris, delaying the probe into the possible cause of the mishap that claimed 158 lives.
"Efforts are on to retrieve the black box which would throw light into the accident for the investigators," said Air India general manager Harpreet AD Singh, who is currently the emergency coordinator.
According to aviation industry experts, a black box is actually a loose term used for at least two crucial equipment - the digital cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder - which give crucial inputs to investigators on the causes of air mishaps.
A sturdy system the size of shoe boxes, they can withstand extreme temperatures. The system records conversations inside the cockpit and those with air traffic controllers, among its other uses, and gives vital clues to the cause of any air disaster.
Singh told reporters here that the Air India's top priority was to coordinate relief measures for the families of the victims, complete the identification process and hand over the bodies.
With the help of the Central Government, three-days' interim visas will be issued to the relatives coming from abroad to claim the bodies of kin who perished in the air accident, she said.
So far, AI has identified and handed over bodies of 105 victims to their relatives and the process to identify the rest with the help of a forensic team is under way, she added.
In view of the massive tragedy that struck the airline, top officials have worked round the clock to ensure that the survivors and victims get all possible help and assistance.
Air India chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav has been at the site of the crash, visiting the hospitals, coordinating the relief and support measures, along with officials from multiple agencies and consoling relatives of victims.
Meanwhile, the bodies of Mumbai-based co-pilot Capt HS Ahluwalia and Thane's airhostess Tejal Kamulkar have been identified.
Tejal's body is expected to reach Mumbai later today and shall be taken to her home in Dombivli town in Thane district for the last rites, a family source said.
AI will also operate additional special flights to ferry the families of the victims to Mangalore, complete the relevant formalities and other requirements.
