Agartala-bound IndiGo flight hit by lightning at Kolkata airport

Kolkata airport (File photo)

KOLKATA: An IndiGo aircraft scheduled to operate a flight from Kolkata to Agartala was struck by lightning while parked at Kolkata airport on Friday amid severe thunderstorm conditions, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said. The incident occurred while the aircraft, IndiGo flight 6E6068 (VT-IPW), was stationed at aerobridge 56L, according to news agency PTI. The Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) had already issued weather alerts as thunderstorms and heavy rain affected the region. No passengers were injured in the incident, the official said. As a precautionary measure, all passengers were deboarded and later accommodated on another aircraft, VT-ICD, which operated the flight to Agartala. According to IndiGo, two ground personnel were slightly "affected" following the lightning strike and were taken to a hospital for medical evaluation. They were later declared "normal", the official added. Kolkata and several adjoining districts have been witnessing thunderstorms and rainfall since Friday morning, resulting in waterlogging in multiple areas and causing traffic disruptions.