Bhubaneswar: A small plane belonging to a private airline crashed near Rourkela, Odisha, on Saturday. Six people, including the pilot and co-pilot, were injured. Four of the injured were taken to the Rourkela Government Hospital, while two passengers were admitted to a private hospital. The charter flight included Captain Naveen Kadanga, co-pilot Tarun Srivastava, and passengers Sushant Kumar Bival, Anita Sahu, Sunil Agarwal, and Sabita Agarwal.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi posted on Instagram, “I am deeply saddened to learn about the plane crash in Rourkela. The news that all passengers are safe, thanks to Lord Jagannath, is reassuring. I have directed that the injured be immediately provided with the best medical care. I am personally monitoring the situation.” Providing further information, Odisha’s Commerce and Transport Minister B.B. Jena stated that a nine-seater private A-1 aircraft carrying six passengers crashed while traveling from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar. He stated that the passengers suffered minor injuries and are in stable condition. The accident occurred in Jalda, 10 kilometers from Rourkela. The minister added that by God’s grace, this was not a major accident. Prasanna Pradhan, Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, said, “The plane was traveling from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela. However, it crashed while landing 10 kilometers from Rourkela. There were four passengers and two crew members on board. All are safe.” This is an India One Airlines plane. The aircraft number is C-208.”
Minister Jena said the state government has informed the Director General of Civil Aviation about the incident. He said, “Our director will inspect the accident site soon.” Rescue teams arrived at the scene after the accident, and the injured were immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. Airport sources said the flight was a regular flight operated by a private operator between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar.
Regarding the incident, Chief Fire Officer Ramesh Chandra Majhi said a call was received at around 2:50 pm reporting a plane crash in Kansar, Rourkela, in Sundargarh district, with people trapped inside the aircraft. He said, “Fire service units from the Rourkela Fire Station and Panposh Fire Station were dispatched to the scene for necessary action. Locals helped rescue the passengers trapped inside the aircraft.” He added, “Fire service personnel stopped the oil leak from the plane by applying foam. The injured were shifted to Jaypee Hospital and RGH Hospital for medical treatment.” Rescue teams have reached the spot and the injured were immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.
