A tragic air ambulance crash in Jharkhand claimed seven lives on Monday night after a medical charter flight went down in the forest area of Simaria in Chatra district. The aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways, crashed shortly after losing contact with air traffic control. District Collector Keerthishree confirmed the deaths and said rescue teams faced severe challenges due to dense forest cover and heavy rain.
The victims included two pilots, a patient, a doctor, a paramedic staff member, and two attendants. All seven died at the crash site, leaving their families in deep shock.
Flight Details and Loss of Contact
The aircraft was identified as a Beechcraft King Air B90L medical charter flight. It departed from Ranchi Airport at 7:11 pm on Monday. The flight was en route to Varanasi for medical transport.
However, within minutes of takeoff, trouble began. At around 7:34 pm, Kolkata Air Traffic Control lost radar contact with the aircraft when it was about 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi. Soon after, officials received reports that the plane had crashed in a forested area of Chatra district.
Bad Weather Suspected as Main Cause
Preliminary reports suggest that adverse weather conditions may have caused the accident. Heavy rain lashed the region at the time of the flight. As a result, poor visibility could have made navigation difficult for the pilots. Authorities believe the severe weather likely played a key role in the crash.
Rescue teams rushed to the spot immediately after receiving information. However, dense forest terrain and continuous rainfall slowed down their efforts. Officials later recovered the bodies from the wreckage.
Victims Identified
The deceased included pilot Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and co-pilot Captain Sabrajdeep Singh. The patient, identified as Sanjay Kumar, was travelling with relatives Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar. Doctor Vikas Kumar Gupta and paramedic staff member Sachin Kumar Mishra were also on board.
Their sudden deaths have left families devastated. Local authorities have begun further investigation to confirm the exact cause of the crash. Meanwhile, aviation officials are expected to conduct a detailed technical review of the aircraft and flight data.
This tragic incident has once again raised concerns about flying in extreme weather conditions. Authorities have assured a thorough probe to prevent such disasters in the future.
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