Air India disbursed interim compensation of Rs. 2.25 crore by Saturday evening to the inherents of the victims and survivors of the May 22 air crash here, according to airline's General Manager (Quality Management Services) Harpreet A. De Singh.
Ms. Singh told journalists here on Saturday that company's legal advisors and financial managers, who were flown into Mangalore addressed 43 cases since Friday and cheques were given in 26 cases. Of them, cheques were issued in 15 cases on Friday. As many as 15 of the recipients were from Kasaragod district of Kerala, she said.
Ms. Singh said many close relatives of the victims have been asked to come back with necessary documents. The solicitors and the Air India team would meet them again here on June 3 and 4 to help the relatives of the victims to claim interim relief. Air India had found that most families of the victims from Kerala were coming to Mangalore. Though an office was opened to help the families in Kozhikode, only a few availed the opportunity.
The airline has announcement interim compensation of Rs. 10 lakh for adult victims and Rs. 5 lakh for children. This is in part fulfilment of insurance indemnity, Ms. Singh said. She said the final quantum of insurance would depend on factors such as the loss the family has suffered on account of the death. The Montreal Convention had decided the maximum quantum to be Rs. 76 lakh. She said one of the cabin crew was yet to be identified. As many as 12 bodies were yet to be identified and the DNA test results of the samples are awaited.
Though most of the baggages of the passengers were destroyed in the accident some articles have been found. The police have transferred them to the Air India. The services of Kenyon International Services personnel were have been hired to cleanse, disinfect, and catalogue the baggages.The baggages would be handed over on June 22 – which marks one month of the tragedy, Ms. Singh said.
The second team of Kenyon Services is expected here in a day or two armed with all the tools required, she said. The first team, which was here, has left after preliminary work, she added.
