An Indian air ambulance made an emergency landing in Dhaka after a mechanical fault caused its door to open mid-flight over Bangladesh.
The patient on board was taken to Kurmitola Hospital, where doctors later declared them dead.
Riaz Uddin, spokesperson for the executive director of Shahjalal International Airport, said the air ambulance was travelling from Agartala, in the north-eastern Indian state of Tripura, to Kolkata in West Bengal when its door opened because of a mechanical problem.
“The aircraft then contacted the control tower and sought permission to land in Dhaka.”
He said there were two crew members, a patient, a doctor, a paramedic, and two attendants accompanying the patient on board.
In a statement, Shahjalal International Airport said the air ambulance had departed Agartala for Kolkata at 1:05pm Indian time.
While flying at an altitude of 12,000ft, the aircraft developed a fault in its cabin pressurisation system. As a result, its main door was damaged and partially opened, the statement read.
To ensure the safety of the passengers and crew, the pilot declared an emergency.
Before the aircraft made its emergency landing in Dhaka, airport authorities had completed preparations to respond to the situation.
Firefighting and rescue vehicles, ambulances, doctors and all relevant emergency service agencies were placed on standby to deal with potential contingencies and ensure the safety of those on board.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely at the airport at 1:40pm Dhaka time.
All crew members and other occupants were safe after the landing.
The patient was transferred promptly to Kurmitola Multicare Specialised Hospital, where doctors declared them dead, the statement added.
According to information from Shahjalal airport, the seven-seat aircraft that made the emergency landing in Dhaka was a Beechcraft King Air manufactured in 1994.
It was previously owned by the government of India’s Haryana state before being transferred to a private airline called Jhankar Aviation. It was most recently operated by SKB Intracon, the airport said.