Three Members of the Same Family of Shankerpura Perish in Air Tragedy

Report and Pictures by Prakash Katapadi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 22 May 2010: Two young children and their mother from Shankerpura who had gone to Dubsi to spend a month’s summer vacation with their father tragically became the victims of one of the worst air crashes in recent history of Indian aviation on Saturday, 22 May 2010 early morning, when Air India Express from dubai to Mangalore  overshot the runway and burst into flames.

Flavia Lobo

Venetia

Vishal

Flavia Lobo (38) the resident of Innanje near Shankerpura along with her daughter, Venetia (15) and son Vishal (9) had gone to Dubai on 22nd April 2010 to spend the vacation with her husband, Vincent Lobo who is working in a Petro-chemical Company at Dubai. The family was on a visiting visa.

Vincent Lobo

Vincent had seen off his family at the Dubai airport without realising that he was bidding them goodbye for the last time and was unaware what tragedy lay ahead when they would reach the Bajpe Airport. On hearing the news of the air crash, Vincent could not believe that such a tragedy could strike his family.  Being shattered, Vincent is on his way back home.

Originally from Pernal, Vincent had built a new home at Innanje only last year. The family had been going  regularly to Dubai since quite a number of years to spend the summer vacation with Vincent. However, this year their trip proved to be the last one.

Venetial Lobo had been a talented young girl and was very good in music and singing. She had been a fine orchestra singer. She had just completed her SSLC through St. Mary’s English School, Udupi and would have joined  PUC classes in one of the reputed colleges of Udupi. However, with her tragic death, the dream of Vincent seeing his daughter educating and growing up gracefully has broken into pieces. By the untimely death of the three members of the same family in the terrible air tragedy, the people of Shankerpura are in a state of shock and disbelief.