At least six people suffered minor injuries when a small aircraft of a private airline made a crash landing near Rourkela on Saturday, Odisha's Commerce and Transport minister B B Jena said. The incident took place near Rourkela, he added.
"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, said, "The flight was on its way from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela. It made a crash landing 10 km before Rourkela. There were 4 passengers and 2 crew members. All are safe. The flight is India One Airlines. The flight number is C-208."
The minister said the state government has apprised the Director General of Civil Aviation of the situation. "Our director will also soon visit the accident site," he added.
Rescue teams rushed to the spot, and the injured were immediately shifted to hospital for treatment. Airport sources confirmed that it was a regular flight between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar run by a private operator.