Mid-Air Nightmare: Indian Woman Dies After Air Ambulance Door Flies Open Over Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh — An air ambulance transport ended in tragedy when a mechanical failure caused a cabin door to partially open mid-flight at 12,000 feet, forcing an emergency diversion to Dhaka. The patient on board, a 56-year-old Indian woman, passed away shortly after being rushed to a nearby medical facility following the emergency landing.

The aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air C90A operated by Indian firm SKB Infracon Pvt Ltd, was carrying seven people—including two pilots, a doctor, a paramedic, two companions, and the patient—from Agartala to Kolkata when the mid-air crisis occurred.

According to aviation authorities, the air ambulance encountered a severe technical fault while climbing through 12,000 feet, causing the cabin door to unlatch and partially open in mid-flight.

Recognizing the immediate cabin decompression hazard and mechanical risk, the flight crew radioed air traffic controllers and diverted to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. Bangladeshi aviation authorities granted immediate landing permission on humanitarian grounds despite the flight lacking prior international clearance protocols.

The aircraft landed safely in Dhaka at around 1:40 p.m. local time.

Emergency medical personnel on the ground immediately received the patient, identified as 56-year-old Anjana Bhowmik, and transported her to Kurmitola Multicare Specialised Hospital in Dhaka. However, attending physicians declared her dead at 4:40 p.m. local time.

All other six occupants—the flight crew, medical personnel, and family companions—were reported uninjured from the incident.

It remains unclear whether Ms. Bhowmik succumbed to pre-existing medical conditions or if the cabin depressurization and stress from the mid-air mechanical failure contributed directly to her death.

The aircraft remains grounded at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while civil aviation investigators inspect the door latching mechanism and mechanical systems to establish the root cause of the mid-air failure.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka is actively coordinating with Bangladeshi authorities to assist the surviving family members, fulfill diplomatic clearance formalities, and facilitate the repatriation of Ms. Bhowmik's body back to India.