Odisha: Six Injured as Private Aircraft Makes Emergency Crash Landing Near Rourkela

At least six people sustained minor injuries after a small private aircraft made an emergency crash landing near Rourkela in Odisha on Saturday, officials said.

The incident occurred at Jalda, around 10 kilometres from Rourkela, when a nine-seater aircraft operated by IndiaOne Air was flying on the Bhubaneswar–Rourkela route. The aircraft was carrying four passengers and two crew members at the time of the mishap.

Odisha’s Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena confirmed the incident, stating that all occupants were safe. “A nine-seater private aircraft carrying passengers between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar met with an accident near Jalda. The passengers suffered only minor injuries and are stable. By the grace of God, it did not turn into a major accident,” he told reporters.

Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, Prasanna Pradhan, said the aircraft, a C-208 model, was nearing Rourkela when it was forced to make a crash landing. “There were four passengers and two crew members on board. All of them are safe,” he said.

Rescue teams rushed to the site immediately after the incident, and the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Their condition has been reported as stable.

The state government has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about the incident. The minister said senior aviation officials are expected to visit the crash site to assess the situation and conduct a detailed inquiry.

Airport sources confirmed that the aircraft was operating a regular commercial service between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar under a private operator. An investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the crash landing.

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