RANCHI: An air-ambulance, heading towards Delhi from Ranchi crashed in Kasariya Panchayat, under Simariya Block of Chatra late in the evening on Monday.
Though there is no official confirmation, local sources said that all seven people on board are still missing.
Chatra Superintendent of Police Sumit Agarwal confirmed the incident and said the helicopter had crashed. Rescue and relief operations have been launched, he said.
The aircraft was a Beechcraft King Air BE9L operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd. It was operating for medical evacuation (air ambulance) on “Ranchi-Delhi” sector.
According to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there were seven persons on board, including two crew members. The aircraft took off from Ranchi at 7:11 pm.
“After establishing contact with Kolkata aircraft requested deviation due to weather. At 7.34 pm, the aircraft lost communication and RADAR contact with Kolkata. The last known position of the aircraft was approximately 100 nautical miles South-East of Varanasi,” stated the DGCA.
The aircraft was carrying patient Sanjay Kumar (41), along with two pilots — Vivek Vikash Bhagat and Savrajdeep Singh — doctor Vikash Kumar Gupta, paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra and attendants Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.
Soon after the incident was reported, local police and district authorities reached the crash site.
Chatra SP informed that rescue and assessment teams were heading towards the remote forested area to evaluate the situation and ascertain the extent of casualties and damage.
Official confirmation regarding the condition of those on board was still awaited at the time of filing this report.
The aircraft was functioning as an air ambulance and was transporting the patient from Ranchi to Delhi for medical treatment.
The exact cause of the crash remains unknown.
Aviation authorities are expected to launch a detailed investigation, which will examine flight data, technical logs, and weather conditions prevailing at the time of departure.