UK engineers arriving in Kerala to repair stranded F-35B jet
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI): Aviation engineers from the UK are arriving in Thiruvananthapuram to repair an F-35B Lightning jet of Britain's Royal Navy as the aircraft continued to be stranded after making an emergency landing 12 days ago.
The aircraft is part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group of the UK's Royal Navy.
The jet, worth over USD 110 million and known to be one of the most advanced fighters globally, made the emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 14.
The aircraft is awaiting repairs at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport after developing an engineering issue, a British High Commission spokesperson said on Friday.
The UK has accepted an offer to move the aircraft to the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility at the airport.
"The aircraft will be moved to the hangar once UK engineering teams arrive with specialist equipment, thereby ensuring there is minimal disruption to scheduled maintenance of other aircraft," the spokesperson said.
The F-35B is the only fifth generation fighter jet with short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities, making it ideal for operating from smaller decks, austere bases and ships.
The official said the aircraft will return to active service once repairs and safety checks have been completed.
"Ground teams continue to work closely with Indian authorities to ensure safety and security precautions are observed. We thank the Indian authorities and Thiruvananthapuram international airport for their continued support."
The aircraft was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales due to adverse weather conditions.
Engineers from HMS Prince of Wales assessed the aircraft and it was decided that the support of UK-based engineering teams was needed.
Days after the aircraft's emergency landing, the Indian Air Force said it was providing all necessary support for the "rectification and subsequent return" of the aircraft.
The HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group carried out military drills with the Indian Navy earlier this month.
Known simply as the 'Lightning' in British service, the F-35 model is the short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fighter jet that is designed to operate from short-field bases and air-capable ships.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mumbai family deaths: FDA finds no watermelon vendor in area to check for affected stock
Mumbai (PTI): The Food and Drug Administration team probing the cause of death of four members of a family in south Mumbai's JJ Marg area have not been able to zero in on any watermelon vendor in the vicinity to check if the fruit had a role to play in the ill-fated incident, an official said on Thursday.
The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At around 1 am, hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) ate pieces of a watermelon.
They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea in the early hours of April 26 and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.
"The FDA team visited the house of Dokadia and collected samples of chicken pulao and watermelon pieces. After two days, the leftover chicken pulao had developed fungus growth. The team also tried to locate watermelon vendors to check for any affected lots," he said.
But no vendors were found in the area for the past two days, preventing the FDA team from getting samples, the official added.
The FDA has requested the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to share the report on the food samples collected by them, he added.
A senior Mumbai police official said the force is waiting for FSL reports in the case, adding that questions on presence of sedatives etc in the fruit could be answered only then.
The statements of the kin of the deceased are being recorded to ascertain if it is a case of mass suicide, and it is being checked if the Dokadia family were in debt or distressed over some issue, the police official said.
