An Agartala-Kolkata IndiGo flight (6E-7203) narrowly escaped a major accident on Tuesday after a bird struck the aircraft shortly after takeoff.

According to airport sources, the incident occurred about 20 minutes after the flight took off around 12:40 pm, when a bird hit the plane’s engine, damaging five blades. The pilot immediately decided to make an emergency landing at Agartala Airport at 1:05 pm.

Several passengers reportedly fell ill due to panic during the incident. The damaged aircraft remained parked at the airport, leaving over a hundred passengers stranded, as the airline did not arrange an alternative flight immediately, according to local sources.

Agartala Airport Director Kailash Chandra Meena said, “The detailed report in this regard has not yet been received. As per initial information, the plane encountered a mechanical fault, due to which the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.”

Authorities are investigating the incident, and maintenance checks are being carried out on the affected aircraft.