Small passenger plane with seven people onboard crashes in Odisha, emergency response underway

A small passenger aircraft operating an IndiaOne Air flight crashed in Odisha on Saturday (Jan 10), triggering an emergency response from local authorities and aviation officials. The nine-seater plane was flying from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar when it went down roughly 10 to 15 kilometres from Rourkela. Officials said the cause of the crash is not yet known and will be investigated. The flight is believed to be a scheduled service between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar operated by a private company.

Injured taken to hospital

Preliminary information suggests there were seven people on board at the time of the incident, including six passengers and the pilot. Rescue teams, as per reports, managed to pull passengers from the wreckage. The survivors have been taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Officials have not yet released details about the condition of those injured.

In a statement, Odisha's Commerce and Transport minister BB Jena confirmed that a crash happened near Rourkela. He said that an “A-1 nine-seater private flight carrying six passengers from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar has met with an accident. The passengers have sustained minor injuries and are stable. It took place at Jalda, 10 kilometres from Rourkela.” He added that "By the grace of God, this is not a major accident."

Meanwhile, Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, Prasanna Pradhan, told reporters that, "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 number of the light is C-208."