The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Sunday asked its personnel who took part in the Air India Express plane crash rescue operation to go for quarantine after two of the injured passengers tested positive for coronavirus even as the black box of the flight was sent to Delhi.

At least 18 passengers including both the pilots were killed after the flight carrying 190 people on board including 10 children skidded while landing at the Kozhikode international airport on Friday, a major air accident after the 2010 Mangaluru tragedy.

“We have asked all CISF personnel who took part in the rescue mission to go into quarantine after the health ministry informed that two injured persons had tested positive. Earlier local people who were the first to carry out rescue work were also asked to go for quarantine,” said a senior airport official.

The CISF had praised the service of its personnel during the accident and said they will be rewarded properly.

Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri who visited the accident site on Saturday announced Rs 10 lakh interim relief to the families of the deceased and requested all to refrain from speculating over the cause of the accident. Many theories were floating around like excess rubber deposits on runway, water stagnation and aqua-planning and overshooting may have resulted in the crash. There were also reports that the airport failed to heed some of the warnings of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

At least 50 injured passengers were discharged from various hospitals on Sunday and 28 are still in hospital. Out of this, 15 received serious injuries, said the Kozhikode district administration.