India's aviation regulator orders probe in private airline flight's turbulence

SpiceJet

NEW DELHI, May 2 (Xinhua) -- India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday ordered a probe into the turbulence incident in which around 15 passengers were injured, some of them seriously, during a domestic flight late on Sunday.

Two of the passengers are said to be in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), said media reports.

The domestic flight of SpiceJet, a private airline, was flying from Mumbai to Durgapur in the eastern state of West Bengal when it experienced a major mid-air turbulence while descending.

After the incident, the injured passengers were admitted to a local hospital.

The DGCA said it was taking the flight's crew off the roster, besides the aircraft's engineer and the in-charge of SpiceJet's maintenance control centre till the probe was over.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the matter was being dealt with utmost seriousness and deftness and the investigation report would be shared soon.

"The turbulence encountered by a flight while landing in Durgapur, and the damage caused to the passengers is unfortunate. The DGCA has deputed a team to investigate the incident," he said, adding that more details on the cause(s) will be shared once the investigation is completed.