Gag order on plane crash survivors

Thiruvananthapuram: Pointing at chances of privacy breaches, against which strict laws are in place in the UAE, the Emirates Airline has directed the survivors from the ill-fated flight EK521, to restrain from posting pictures and videos of Wednesday's accident on social media, besides sharing their traumatic experience or official communiques to them with media.

A few of the survivors residing in the UAE told TOI that they were not supposed to talk to media. "The airline officials are in constant touch with us, offering assistance with regard to our well-being. But they told us not to communicate with the media or post anything on social media networks on the accident, as it would attract legal liability," one of them said.

Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in an official statement issued on the very day of the accident, had requested all 'to respect the privacy of all passengers'.

Under the UAE's IT Law, people posting pictures of others on social media networks without their permission could be jailed for six months and fined up to Dh500,000.

Visuals of chaotic scenes inside the plane after its crash landing at the Dubai International Airport and funny messages ridiculing the Malayali mind-set have been making the rounds on Facebook and on WhatsApp for the last couple of days.

The Indian embassy has ensured 14 Indian passengers, who have lost their passports, an immediate issuance of new passports, besides assisting all the passengers in claiming their lost baggage.

The Dubai immigration department has also assured of stamping of new visa once the passengers produce their fresh passports.

Though the initial official figures had put the number of passengers who had suffered minor injuries at 13, later it got revised to five.

"I was travelling with my wife and three small children. We are all recovering from the shock," said another UAE resident hailing from Mavelikkara.

According to the Emirates officials it would take at least one month to come out with an interim investigation report. Further, it would take another four months to get a final one.