Medanta Hospital's air ambulance crashes near Bangkok, pilot dead, 2 doctors in ICU
The aircraft caught fire midair and crash-landed near Bangkok, according to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who tweeted about the incident.
An air ambulance of the Gugaon-based Medanta Hospital has crash landed near Bangkok, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted. The aircraft, which was carrying a five-member crew, caught fire while in air, leading to the crash.
The injured were transported a Bangkok Hospital by army helicopters, but the air ambulance's pilot, Arunaksha Nandy, passed away in the aftermath of the crash.
The Air Ambulance of Medanta Hospital with five member crew caught fire and crashlanded near Bangkok. /1 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 6, 2017
Two other people, identified as Dr. Shailendra and Dr. Komal, are in an ICU in Bangkok, Swaraj said. The remaining two people on board the plane suffered minor injuries, the minister added.
Swaraj also said that the Indian mission in Thailand was extending all support to the injured. "My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," she tweeted.
This Pilatus PC 12 (VT-AVG) plane was hired by hospital to pickup a patient, who was suffering from lung problem, from Bangkok. The plane flew from New Delhi at 8.42 am on Sunday.
The plane, having two pilots, took a refuelling stop in Kolkata en route to Bangkok. It crash-landed at Nakhon Pathom airport about 730 km from Bangkok on Sunday afternoon.
The aircraft is a single engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft.