Seven people died in a devastating accident in India when an air ambulance traveling from Ranchi to Delhi crashed just 20 minutes after take off. The Beechcraft C90 aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways, lost contact with air traffic control shortly before it crashed in a forested area of Simaria near Chatra district of Jharkhand on the evening of February 23.
The flight, which took off from Ranchi at 7:11 pm local time, was carrying a medical team including a patient and his attendants. According to government officials, the plane went missing around 7.30 pm when it lost contact with the Kolkata air traffic control tower. Efforts were reportedly made to divert due to weather conditions before contact was lost. The accident site was later located in a remote forest area of Kasariya Panchayat.
The victims included pilot Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, all of whom died on the spot; Co-pilot, Captain Savrajdeep Singh; And a medical team comprising Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra, and attendants Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar. The dead also include a patient named Sanjay Kumar, who was being taken.
Authorities responded swiftly with a search and rescue operation, and a team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is now investigating the cause of the crash. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been dispatched to investigate the circumstances that led to this tragic loss of life.
The incident has shocked the local community and raised questions over the safety protocols surrounding air ambulance operations. As families and friends mourn the loss of their loved ones, authorities have vowed to provide updates as the investigation begins.
This tragedy serves as a sobering reminder of the risks faced by those in the aviation and medical fields, and the lives lost will be deeply missed by all who knew them.