Agartala, October 19: An emergency diversion to Dhaka disrupted an air ambulance flight from Agartala to Kolkata on Sunday after the aircraft’s door reportedly opened while it was airborne, raising concerns over the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The aircraft, operated by SKB Infracon Private Limited, was carrying critically ill patient Anjana Bhowmik and six other occupants when the reported technical problem forced the pilot to make an emergency landing at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Following the landing, Bhowmik was shifted to Kurmitola General Hospital in the Bangladeshi capital. Unconfirmed reports claimed that she died after being admitted to the hospital. However, the exact circumstances of her reported death remained unclear, and no official confirmation was immediately available.
According to sources, the aircraft had seven occupants, including the patient, two medical personnel, two attendants and two pilots. The medical team comprised physician Dr. Firoz Khan and paramedic Azim Khan, while Shanta Bhowmik and Deep Jyoti Mishra were accompanying the patient as attendants.
Captain Punya Anup was reportedly piloting the aircraft, with Captain Tanuj Sharma serving as co-pilot. The remaining occupants, including both pilots and the patient’s companions, were reported to be safe following the emergency landing.
The flight was originally scheduled to transport the critically ill patient from Agartala to Kolkata for medical treatment. However, the reported opening of the aircraft’s door during the journey prompted the diversion to Dhaka.
Details regarding how the door opened, the aircraft’s technical condition and the sequence of events leading to the emergency landing were not immediately known.
Further information was awaited from the concerned authorities regarding the incident and the official cause of the patient’s reported death.