No plane crash in Jashpur: Chhattisgarh govt says ‘no evidence of any wreckage’

The Chhattisgarh government denied reports of a plane crash in the Narayanpur hills in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district on Monday.

“Some news channels and web portals have reported a plane crash in the Narayanpur hills in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district. There are no reports of such an accident,” the Chhattisgarh government said in a statement, as per ANI news agency.

The statement came after Jashpur Collector Rohit Vyas, along with his team, inspected the Narayanpur hills in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district.

'No evidence of any wreckage'

Jashpur Collector Rohit Vyas said, “We received information through the media about a plane crash in the Narayanpur area. As soon as we received the information, SSP, I, and our entire team arrived at the scene.”

“Our team inspected the surrounding area. However, we have not yet found any evidence of a plane crash. Drone surveillance is also underway. The Forest Department team is scouring the mountain and the forest,” Vyas was quoted by ANI as saying.

"But so far, no evidence of any wreckage or debris has been found, nor has any evidence of a plane crash been found. We have also discussed with the villagers. No one has seen such a plane crash, nor has anyone heard any sound of any kind of explosion. So far, no one has confirmed that a plane is missing...," the statement added.

What did reports claim?

Earlier, several reports claimed that a private aircraft reportedly crashed into a hillside in the Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh on Monday (April 20). The aircraft is a Cessna Caravan and appeared to flying at a lower altitude, the Hindustan Times reported.

The reports claimed that the aircraft crashed in the Ratanpahli forest area in Jashpur after hitting a tree while flying 30 feet above the ground. Thick smoke and flames were seen at the hillside situated in the Jashpur-Narayanpur region.

According to NDTV, two pilots were killed after the chartered aircraft crashed following a collision with a hill in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district on Monday. However, an official confirmation on any casualty is awaited.

Several unverified video emerged on social media soon after the incident. Some of them showed visuals from the spot with thick smoke filling the air in the middle of a jungle.

The number of occupants on board is not yet known. Police and administrative teams have reached the site.

“The collector and the SP have departed for the crash site,” Times Now reported.