Aircraft crash-lands near Rourkela; six injured in Odisha incident

Rourkela: A small aircraft operated by private carrier IndiaOne Air crash-landed near Jalda, around 10 km from Rourkela, on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least six people with minor injuries, Odisha Commerce and Transport Minister B.B. Jena said.

The aircraft, a nine-seater A-1 model, was flying from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela when it made an emergency landing. There were four passengers and two crew members on board.

“One A-1 nine-seater private flight carrying passengers has met with an accident. The passengers have sustained minor injuries and are stable. It took place at Jalda, 10 kilometres from Rourkela. By the grace of God, this is not a major accident,” Jena told reporters.

Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, Prasanna Pradhan, confirmed the incident, saying the plane “made a crash landing 10 kilometres before Rourkela.” He said all those on board were safely evacuated and are undergoing medical evaluation.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been informed of the incident, and state officials are expected to visit the crash site for assessment.

Airport sources said the aircraft was operating a routine Rourkela–Bhubaneswar service run by a private operator.