All seven people on board a medical evacuation flight were killed after the air ambulance crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening while en route from Ranchi to Delhi.
The aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, went down near Simariya shortly after taking off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm.
Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G told news agency PTI that “all seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash" and confirmed that the plane was headed to Delhi at the time of the incident.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that the Beechcraft C90 aircraft bearing registration VT-AJV was operating a medical evacuation (air ambulance) flight on the Ranchi–Delhi sector when it crashed in Kasariya Panchayat under Simariya block in Chatra district.
LOSS OF CONTACT AFTER TAKEOFF
According to the DGCA, the aircraft had taken off from Ranchi at 7.11 pm IST and later established contact with Kolkata Air Traffic Control.
The aircraft reportedly requested deviation due to adverse weather conditions before losing communication.
At approximately 7.34 pm, the aircraft lost both communication and radar contact with Kolkata ATC when it was around 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi.
Ranchi airport officials also said that contact with the aircraft was lost around 20 minutes after departure.
Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G told news agency ANI that preliminary findings point to bad weather as a possible factor.
“It crashed due to a thunderstorm. Unfortunately, the team of doctors found them dead. The total number of people is seven. Two were crew members, and the remaining five were a patient and the patient’s family members," she said.
CRASH SITE LOCATED IN FOREST AREA
The aircraft crashed in a forested area near Karmatand in Chatra district, making access difficult for rescue teams.
Chatra Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar Agarwal told ANI that authorities received information about the crash around 10 pm.
“We got information around 10 that an accident has happened. Getting here was difficult considering the terrain. The investigation team will try to recover the black box. Total number of deaths is seven," Agarwal said.
PATIENT WAS BEING SHIFTED FOR TREATMENT
Hospital authorities told PTI that the flight had been arranged to transfer a critically injured patient to Delhi for advanced treatment.
Anant Sinha, CEO of Dev Kamal Hospital in Ranchi, said that Sanjay Kumar, a 41-year-old resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, had been admitted on February 16 with nearly 65 per cent burn injuries.
“The patient left the hospital for Delhi around 4.30 pm," Sinha told PTI, adding that the family had arranged the air ambulance themselves for better medical care.
Shyam Kumar, Front Office Incharge at Dev Kamal Hospital, also told IANS that the patient had been undergoing treatment before the family decided to shift him to Delhi.
IDENTITIES CONFIRMED, PROBE UNDERWAY
The deceased were identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.
The DGCA has initiated a probe into the incident, and a team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was dispatched to the crash site.
The district administration and investigation teams were also examining the wreckage.
Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari said in a statement that the state government was closely monitoring the situation and had directed officials to deploy all necessary resources.
Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar told PTI that inclement weather could be a possible reason behind the crash, but stressed that the exact cause would only be determined after a detailed investigation.
