A small charter aircraft carrying four passengers and two crew members crashed near the Jagada block close to Rourkela airstrip in Odisha on Saturday. Preliminary reports indicate the plane met with the accident during takeoff en route to Bhubaneswar. Authorities are yet to confirm the exact cause of the mishap.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Manjhi expressed relief over the safety of all passengers and instructed immediate medical care for the injured. “I am deeply saddened by the crash but grateful that all passengers are safe. I am personally monitoring the situation,” he tweeted on X.

The aircraft, identified as a Charlie-208 nine-seater private flight, sustained damage, though officials confirmed the injuries were minor. Commerce and Transport Minister B B Jena stated that the incident occurred around 10 kilometres from Rourkela, at Jalda, and described it as “not a major accident.”

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Bhubaneswar Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan confirmed the identities of the injured, including passengers Sushant Kumar Biswal, Anita Sahu, Sunil Agrawal, and Sabita Agrawal, along with crew members Captain Naveen Kadanga and Captain Tarun Srivastava. All were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Rescue teams promptly reached the crash site to provide assistance, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been notified. Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing, while authorities continue to monitor the condition of the injured.

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