Pilot killed after Indian air ambulance crashes near Bangkok
An air ambulance of the Medanta hospital crash landed near Bangkok after it caught fire today. The pilot died and four others - including two doctors and a nurse - were injured.
Calling the incident "unfortunate", Medanta hospital chairman and managing director Naresh Trehan said the air ambulance had gone to Bangkok to bring a patient suffering from lung problem.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted saying the injured have been shifted to Bangkok hospital by army helicopters.
In a series of tweets, Ms Swaraj said:
The Air Ambulance of Medanta Hospital with five member crew caught fire and crashlanded near Bangkok. /1
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 6 March 2017
Our Mission has just informed me that we have lost pilot of the Air Ambulance Arunaksha Nandy. /3
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 6 March 2017
Dr.Shailendra and Dr.Komal are in the ICU. The other two have sustained minor injuries. /4
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 6 March 2017
The plane had taken off for Bangkok yesterday from New Delhi. In the afternoon, it stopped midway in Kolkata to refuel and later, crash landed at Nakhon Pathom airport.
One of the doctors was from the hospital`s Department of Anaesthesia while the other from the Department of Critical Care. Both have suffered burn injuries. "We are getting to know that the injuries are not life-threatening," news agency Press Trust of India quoted Dr Trehan as saying. A team of doctors from Medanta have already left for Bangkok, he said, and the families of the injured doctors will also join them soon.
"I may travel to Bangkok tomorrow. The Ministry of External Affairs is also helping a lot," Dr Trehan added.
Source: NDTV
