Jharkhand: Air ambulance en route to Delhi crashes near Ranchi

New Delhi: Air ambulance en route to Delhi crashes near Ranchi in Jharkhand. Seven people were onboard. The medical chartered plane traveling from Ranchi to Delhi crashed near Chatra on Monday. Its last location was in Palamu, Jharkhand. Contact was lost shortly after takeoff.

What were the casualties?

Seven people were aboard the charter ambulance, all of whom died. The plane belonged to Delhi-based Redbird Airways Private Limited. It took off from Ranchi at 7:07 p.m. The air ambulance was carrying a patient, a doctor, a paramedic, and two attendants.

When did the flight take-off?

The flight departed from Ranchi at 7:10 p.m. Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar said that an air ambulance traveling from Ranchi to Delhi crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand's Chatra district. The aircraft, a Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV belonging to Redbird Airways Private Limited, took off from Ranchi Airport at around 7:10 p.m. The ambulance lost contact with air traffic control.

Where did the aircraft crash?

Officials said the air ambulance crashed in the Kasiatu forest in Simaria, near Chatra. The plane is reported to have crashed at Pathalpania in Kasari Panchayat, Simaria police station area. Chatra is about 130 kilometers from Ranchi. The plane was scheduled to land in Delhi at 10 p.m. It lost contact with air traffic control at 7:34 p.m. The last tracked location was near Palamu.

How many people were on board?

The plane was carrying seven people. In addition to the patient, there were a doctor, a paramedic, two attendants, a pilot in command, and a co-pilot.

How did the authorities respond?

The incident is reported to have occurred around 10 p.m. Authorities issued a high alert as soon as the plane went missing. Jharkhand Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari wrote in his post on X, "Security agencies and local administration are on high alert. Search and rescue operations have been intensified in the possible area. I have directed the concerned authorities to take necessary steps and deploy all possible resources. The state government is closely monitoring the situation."

According to officials, every minute information about the accident is being gathered. Security agencies and Civil Aviation Department officials are monitoring the situation to expedite relief work. Chatra's Superintendent of Police stated that police are arriving at the scene. The exact number of casualties and damage will be known after that.

Have the pilots been identified?

The pilots have been identified as Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Savrajdeep Singh. The patient being transported has been identified as Sanjay Kumar, 41. Paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra, Doctor Vikas Kumar Gupta, and attendants Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar were also on board.