All seven people on board an air ambulance were killed when the aircraft crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand`s Chatra district.
The deceased have been brought to a hospital for post-mortem examination, officials said on Tuesday, reported PTI.
The Beechcraft C90 air ambulance, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was en route from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down on Monday evening in the Bariatu Panchayat area of Simaria, deep inside a forest. All seven on board, including two pilots, lost their lives.
All seven victims taken for post-mortem; investigation underway
“We have brought all seven bodies for post-mortem at Sadar Hospital, Chatra. The crash is being investigated,” an official told PTI.
The aircraft took off from Ranchi Airport at 7:11 pm and went missing around 7:30 pm. It lost contact with air traffic control about 20 minutes after departure, he said.
Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar said inclement weather could be a possible reason behind the crash, though the exact cause will be determined after a detailed probe, reported PTI.
The deceased have been identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi, and Dhuru Kumar.
Meanwhile, a lingering sense of grief prevailed in Chatra district as the relatives of those killed in the crash expressed shock and disbelief.
Bajrangi Prasad, the father of the deceased Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, said he had sold all his land to support his son’s medical education. Dr Gupta was posted at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi.
“He had a seven-year-old son… He was meritorious and completed his MBBS from Odisha`s Cuttack,” Prasad said, reported PTI.
Family of deceased cites poor healthcare infrastructure for air ambulance crash
Family members of Sanjay Kumar (41) blamed the “poor” health infrastructure for the tragedy.
“Had we received proper treatment for my brother-in-law, Sanjay, in Ranchi, precious lives could have been saved. I lost both Sanjay and my sister Archana Devi in the incident,” Kumar said, reported PTI.
Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G had earlier told PTI that all seven deceased were retrieved from the crash site and shifted to Chatra hospital for post-mortem examination.
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the Beechcraft C90 aircraft (VT-AJV) was operating a medical evacuation flight on the Ranchi–Delhi sector when it crashed in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district.
Aircraft lost contact with Kolkata 23 minutes after takeoff from Ranchi
“The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi,” it said, adding that there were seven people on board, including two crew members.
An Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team has been dispatched to the crash site.
(With PTI inputs)