Agencies | Chatra/Ranchi:
All seven people on board an air ambulance bound for Delhi from Ranchi were killed after the aircraft crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening, officials confirmed.
Initial reports had suggested a single fatality, but Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G later clarified that there were no survivors in the crash near Simaria. “All seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash,” the senior official told PTI.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shubham Khandelwal said the bodies of all seven victims have been recovered from the crash site.
Victims Identified
The deceased include the pilot-in-command, Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, and co-pilot Captain Savrajdeep Singh.
Also among those killed were Sanjay Kumar (41), the patient being airlifted; his attendants Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar; Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta; and paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra.
Aircraft Details and Timeline
The aircraft involved was a Beechcraft C90, registered as VT-AJV and operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd. It was on a medical evacuation mission from Ranchi to Delhi.
The flight departed Ranchi at 7:11 pm and was scheduled to land in Delhi around 10 pm. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at 7:34 pm, approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi.
Patient’s Condition
Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Chandwa in Jharkhand’s Latehar district, had sustained 65 per cent burn injuries. He had been admitted in critical condition on February 16. According to Dr Anant Sinha, chief plastic surgeon at Ranchi’s Devnika Hospital, the family decided to shift him to a higher medical centre in Delhi for advanced treatment.
Kumar was discharged around 4:30 pm on Monday and taken to the airport for the evacuation flight.
Investigation Underway
Following the crash, a team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been dispatched to the site to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Authorities have sealed off the area as investigators begin a detailed probe into what led to the tragic crash, which has sent shockwaves across the region.
