Bhubaneswar/Raipur: An IndiGo flight operating from Mumbai to Bhubaneswar was diverted to Raipur on Thursday evening after adverse weather prevented it from landing at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA).
Kalsbaisakhi brought intense rainfall and strong winds that made landing unsafe at BPIA.
Flight 6E 463 was scheduled to arrive at the Bhubaneswar airport around 7:30 pm but had to abort its approach amid heavy rain and gusty surface winds, which disrupted operations at the capital city’s airport. The aircraft was safely redirected to Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur.
IndiGo stated that the diversion was carried out in the interest of passenger safety. “We regret the inconvenience caused. Please note that the flight was diverted to Raipur due to bad weather in Bhubaneswar, which is beyond our control. For any assistance, passengers may reach out to our airport team,” the airline said, in response to a passenger’s complaint on X (formerly Twitter).
Passenger Manjit Mohanty took to X to highlight the situation, noting that passengers were left without clear updates after the diversion. “No update as of now. Request confirmation when we can safely fly back to Bhubaneswar,” he posted.
Also Read: Kalabaisakhi Fury In Odisha: Uprooted Trees, Fallen Hoardings & Power Cuts Hit Multiple Districts
The Kalabaisakhi spell, accompanied by lightning and gusty winds, uprooted trees at a few places in several parts of the city, including Kharavela Nagar, Saheed Nagar, Nayapalli, BJB Nagar and Ahalya Nagar. Lightning also struck a house in Somnath Basti area of Niladri Vihar, injuring three members of a family. Local residents quickly rescued the victims and rushed them to Capital Hospital.
Also Read: Patitapabana Flag Atop Puri Jagannath Temple Tears Amid Kalabaisakhi Storm
In a separate incident at Old Station Bazaar in the capital, a large iron hoarding under construction collapsed due to strong winds and rain, crushing one car and two motorcycles parked beneath it. Fortunately, no one was injured. Fire brigade teams were promptly deployed to clear the debris.
