Jharkhand air ambulance crash: All seven occupants dead; thunderstorm likely behind fatal accident
The aircraft belonged to Delhi-based non-scheduled operator Redbird. Information available on the website of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) states that the company operates six aircraft, including the one involved in the crash.
All seven people travelling in an air ambulance lost their lives after the aircraft crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening. A senior state government official confirmed the fatalities. The aircraft went down near Simaria shortly after departing from Ranchi. It had taken off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm and was heading to Delhi at the time of the incident.
The air ambulance was operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd.
"All seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash. The plane was on the way to Delhi from Ranchi," Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G said.
"The aircraft went missing around 7.30 pm. It crashed at the Bariatu Panchayat area in Simaria," she added.
Keerthishree also stated that the fatal accident was likely triggered by a thunderstorm.
All bodies recovered
All seven people on board the crashed air ambulance have been found and identified, SDPO Shubham Khandelwal said. The deceased have been named as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.
The aircraft belonged to Delhi-based non-scheduled operator Redbird. Information available on the website of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) states that the company operates six aircraft, including the one involved in the crash.
Meanwhile, Anant Sinha, Chief Executive Officer of Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi, said the air ambulance had been arranged by one of the hospital’s patients.
"The patient, Sanjay Kumar (41), a resident of Chandwa in Latehar district, was brought to the hospital with 65 per cent burn injuries on February 16. He was being treated in the hospital," he said.
Sinha further said an air ambulance was arranged to take the patient to Delhi for advance treatment.
"They arranged an air ambulance on Monday. The patient left the hospital for Delhi around 4.30 pm," he added.
DGCA releases statement
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has released a press note over the accident. The aviation regulatory body said the aircraft lost communication with radar after requesting for deviation due to bad weather. It also said that an AAIB team was dispatched to probe the incident.