An Indian woman died after the air ambulance transporting her from Agartala to Kolkata made an emergency landing in Dhaka when a technical fault caused the aircraft’s door to partially open mid-flight, Bangladesh media reported.
The Beechcraft King Air C90A, registered as VT-HYA, encountered the problem while climbing through 12,000 feet on Sunday, October 18, prompting it to divert to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the state-owned BSS news agency reported.
The aircraft landed safely at around 1.40pm local time with seven people on board, including two pilots, the patient, a doctor, a paramedic and two companions.
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The patient, identified as 56-year-old Anjana Bhowmik, was taken to Kurmitola Multicare Specialised Hospital, where doctors declared her dead, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Airport Police Station officer-in-charge Kamrul Hasan Talukder told The Daily Star that Bhowmik died at the hospital at 4.40pm on Sunday.
The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear. It has not been established whether the technical malfunction contributed to her death or whether it was caused by medical complications.
Bangladesh provides humanitarian assistance
Bangladeshi authorities assisted the air ambulance on humanitarian grounds despite the aircraft lacking the required clearance for an international landing, BSS reported.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka coordinated with Bangladeshi officials to complete the necessary diplomatic formalities.
The aircraft, operated by India’s SKB Infracon Pvt Ltd, remained at Dhaka airport as authorities worked to resolve the clearance issues, The Daily Star reported.
The other six people on board were reported safe.