Rourkela: At least six people sustained minor injuries after a small private aircraft made a crash landing near Rourkela in Odisha on Saturday, officials said. The incident occurred at Jalda, around 10 kilometres from Rourkela, involving a nine-seater aircraft operated by India One Airlines.
Odisha’s Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena confirmed the incident and said all passengers were safe. “One A-1 nine-seater private flight carrying passengers has met with an accident. The passengers have sustained minor injuries and are stable. By the grace of God, this is not a major accident,” the minister told reporters.
According to Prasanna Pradhan, Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, the aircraft was en route from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela when it made a crash landing before reaching its destination. The flight, numbered C-208, had four passengers and two crew members on board, all of whom escaped without serious harm.
Rescue teams rushed to the spot soon after the incident, and the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Airport sources said the aircraft was operating a regular commercial service between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela under a private operator.
Minister Jena said the state government has informed the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about the incident, and senior aviation officials are expected to visit the accident site to assess the situation. Further details regarding the cause of the crash landing are awaited.
