Guwahati: All seven people on board an air ambulance were killed when the aircraft crashed near Simaria in Chatra district, Jharkhand, on Monday evening. The plane, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, had departed from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm, bound for Delhi, and lost contact with air traffic control around 20 minutes after takeoff. The crash site in Bariatu Panchayat lies deep inside a forested area.
The victims have been identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh, the patient Sanjay Kumar, Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi, and Dhuru Kumar. The bodies were recovered by district search and rescue teams and handed over to the authorities.
Sanjay Kumar (41), the patient travelling in the air ambulance, was a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district who had sustained 65 per cent burn injuries on February 16. He was being treated at Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi, and his family arranged the air ambulance to transport him to Delhi for specialised care. The ambulance departed from Ranchi around 4.30 pm.
Ranchi Airport officials indicated that the aircraft lost radar and communication contact approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. Inclement weather is being considered as a possible factor, though the exact cause will be determined after a formal investigation. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team has been dispatched to the site to examine all technical and operational aspects.
Redbird Airways, based in Delhi, operates a fleet of six aircraft, including the one involved in the crash.
The incident has prompted condolences from political leaders in Jharkhand, with expressions of grief for the deceased and their families.