Majhi, returning from a five-day visit to Delhi, was scheduled to arrive at Biju Patnaik International Airport at 9.45 am. However, heavy rain forced the pilot to circle over the airport for more than 20 minutes before diverting the aircraft.
“The flight could not land at the airport here, and was diverted to Kolkata due to bad weather,” Odisha Urban Development Minister K C Mohapatra told reporters. Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan added that the aircraft had hovered over the runway area for around 21 minutes before being rerouted.
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The state government later announced that the Teachers’ Day function, which Majhi was due to attend, would now be held at 3 pm instead of 11.30 am.
Meanwhile, rough weather also disrupted operations at Paradip Port, where a Chinese sailor fell into the sea from a vessel on Friday morning. According to police, the sailor slipped while adjusting a ladder as the ship was preparing to depart after unloading cargo at the Paradip International Cargo Terminal.
In an attempt to save him, another crew member from Bangladesh jumped into the water but was later rescued. Search efforts for the missing sailor are under way, involving teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), CISF personnel, Marine Police, and scuba divers.
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
