Eight days after a chartered plane crashed near Jalda, one of the critically injured passengers, Sushant Biswal, has passed away. Biswal, who was battling multiple ailments and returning from treatment in Bhubaneswar, died at a private hospital shortly before he was to be airlifted to Delhi.
The incident occurred on January 10th when the aircraft, carrying six people, suffered a mechanical failure and made an emergency landing 10 km from Rourkela. While all on board—including two crew members and four passengers—initially survived the impact with serious injuries, Biswal is the first fatality.
Preliminary investigations suggest the pilot made a Mayday call to Air Traffic Control moments before the crash. The remaining five survivors continue to undergo treatment. The tragedy has cast a shadow over the initial rescue success, as authorities further probe the technical causes behind the engine failure.