Bhubaneswar: On the afternoon of January 10, 2026, the quiet landscape near Jalda in Rourkela became the stage for a harrowing battle between life and death.
Shri Sunil Agarwal, a prominent industrialist from Odisha, was traveling with his wife, Shrimati Sabita Agarwal, and two other passengers when their small chartered aircraft suddenly lost altitude. Shri Agarwal after treatment on returning from Mumbai shared the chilling details of the moments when their world literally began to fall from the sky and profusely thanked the Pilot for saving their lives.
As the plane descended uncontrollably, the cabin was filled with a thick, heavy silence of anticipation and whispered prayers to Lord Jagannatha. Sunil described the terrifying sight of the aircraft narrowly missing a nearby hill and a massive electrical transformer.
He recalled the sheer intensity of the fear, realizing that in just a few seconds, everything he had built and everyone he loved could be gone. Shri Agarwal and Shrimati Agarwal, both of them surrendering to the Divine Power, while the aircraft brushed against the tops of teak trees before finally slamming into an open field.
During his account to Media, Sunil was visibly moved as he lauded the hero of the day: Captain Naveen Kadanga. He expressed profound gratitude for the pilot’s presence of mind and extraordinary skill. Sunil emphasized that if it were not for the pilot’s split-second decision to perform a forced belly landing in a vacant area rather than crashing into the industrial structures or the river, none of them would have survived.
To Shri Agarwal, the pilot was not just a professional doing his job, but a savior who risked his own life—sustaining serious head injuries in the process—to ensure the safety of his passengers.
For Sunil and Sabita, the experience has been a spiritual awakening. Being airlifted to Mumbai for further treatment gave them time to reflect on the fragility of existence.
Ace industrialist and philanthropist, Shri Agarwal spoke of the crash not just as a tragedy, but as a testament to human courage and divine grace.
He walked away from the wreckage with a deep sense of indebtedness to the pilot and the local villagers who rushed to their aid, carrying with him a renewed vow to cherish every moment of the life that was so narrowly returned to him.
Shri Agarwal also thanked Odisha Government and Team of officials extending timely support in the crisis.