An Airports Authority of India ( AAI ) official being airlifted from Agartala to Kolkata for medical treatment died in Dhaka on Sunday after the aircraft carrying her made an emergency landing in the Bangladeshi capital following a reported cabin pressurisation problem, officials familiar with the matter told HT.
She was taken to a hospital in Dhaka after the aircraft landed, but doctors declared her dead, Bangladeshi media reported. The other occupants were reported to be unharmed. The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, and it has not been established whether the technical problem or the diversion contributed to it. The two attendants were reportedly relatives of the patient.
Anjana Bhowmik had been unwell for several months and was on ventilator support when she was being shifted to Kolkata for further treatment, the officials said. Seven people were on board, including Bhowmik, two pilots, a doctor, a paramedic and two attendants, according to an official.
Bhowmik’s background and safety context
The aircraft landed safely, and Anjana Bhowmik was subsequently shifted to Kurmitola General Hospital, where doctors reportedly declared her dead. “One does not face oxygen issues until 10,000 ft. Earlier reporting noted: The air ambulance was diverted to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the Bangladeshi capital on Sunday, October 18. Earlier reporting noted: The aircraft landed safely at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 1:40 p.m. local time, with seven people on board, including two pilots, a patient, a doctor, a paramedic and two companions, the report said.
Aviation safety expert Mohan Ranganathan said a pressurisation problem at higher altitudes could pose risks related to oxygen supply and require a rapid descent. Above this altitude, one needs to descend quickly as they need help with oxygen supply,” he said. Earlier reporting noted: Bhowmik, a resident of Birubari in Guwahati, had been suffering from breathing difficulties and was referred to Kolkata from ILS Hospital in Agartala for advanced medical treatment, according to airport sources.
