Rourkela plane forced-landing: Minister visits site, promises safety probe | Bhubaneswar News
Rourkela: Transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena on Monday visited the site where a nine-seater IndiaOne Air plane force-landed near Rourkela on Saturday. He also met the injured passengers and pilots at a local hospital.Calling the incident “unbelievable and very unfortunate”, Jena said the state govt is committed to providing the best possible medical care and ensuring robust safety measures to prevent such accidents.“After such a big accident, the fact that all on-board survived is hard to believe. I thank God for saving their lives,” he told reporters. “This is the second such incident in Odisha after Baripada,” he added.The minister said a detailed probe is underway by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ascertain the cause. “Based on the findings, necessary steps will be taken to avoid recurrence,” he said.Jena inspected the site at Kainser village and praised the pilots for their presence of mind and locals for rescuing the injured. He later visited the hospital to meet the injured and directed doctors to provide them the best treatment. Sundargarh collector Subhankar Mohapatra, local MLA Durga Charan Tanty, and senior officials accompanied him. Two pilots have been shifted out of ICU, while a passenger remains on ventilator support.Minutes before landing at Rourkela airport on Saturday, the pilot issued a “May Day” alert and force-landed in the field after apparently hitting a high-tension wire, causing power outage in 10 villages. The fuselage and landing gears of the aircraft were damaged, but all occupants were rescued. Power supply in affected villages was restored on Monday.
