Small charter aircraft crash-lands in Rourkela, six injured

A small charter aircraft crash-landed in the Raghunathpali area of Rourkela in Odisha on Saturday, leaving six people injured, officials said.

The incident occurred in Jalda E Block under Raghunathpali police limits. The nine-seater aircraft was en route from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela when the accident took place.

Six Injured, Minister Confirms

Odisha Transport Minister Bibhuti Jena confirmed that six occupants sustained injuries in the incident. Details regarding the nature of the injuries and the condition of those hurt were not immediately available.

The aircraft was carrying four passengers and two crew members. The passengers have been identified as Susanta Kumar Biswal, Anita Sahoo, Sunil Agarwal and Sabita Agarwal.

Rescue And Investigation Underway

Authorities rushed to the spot soon after the crash-landing. Raghunathpali police reached the location and began an investigation. Officials said the exact cause of the incident had not been ascertained at the time of reporting.

The aircraft, reported to be a private plane, crash-landed near Jalda A Block, around 15 kilometres from Rourkela airport. Airport authorities and police coordinated rescue efforts to evacuate the occupants and shift them to hospital.

Local youths also rushed to the site and assisted in the rescue operation. The health condition of the injured passengers could not be confirmed immediately.

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Reports said the aircraft had been operating six days a week for the past month prior to the accident.