Delhi-bound air ambulance crashes in Jharkhand's Chatra with patient and 6 others onboard, all die

A medical mission ended in profound tragedy on Monday evening as an air ambulance crashed in the Bariatu Panchayat area of Simaria, Jharkhand, killing all seven people on board. The aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways, was transporting a critically ill patient from Ranchi to New Delhi for specialized care. Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G confirmed that the plane went down in a densely forested region shortly after losing contact with air traffic controllers.

The flight had been commissioned for Sanjay Kumar, a 41-year-old resident of Latehar who was battling severe 65% burn injuries at Devkamal Hospital. His family had opted for the air ambulance after doctors warned that his fragile condition made a long road journey life-threatening. Despite their efforts to secure the safest possible transit, the Beechcraft aircraft vanished from the radar at approximately 7:30 pm, just nineteen minutes after departing from Ranchi.

The victims of the crash include the patient, his family members, a specialized medical team, and the flight crew. Recovery efforts were immediately hampered by the difficult, forested terrain and nighttime conditions of the Chatra district. Officials have secured the site for a thorough investigation to determine what caused the private medical flight to plummet from the sky during its transit to the national capital.