United News of Bangladesh

All seven people on board an air ambulance were killed when the aircraft crashed in Simaria area of Chatra district, Jharkhand, India, on Monday evening, officials said. The Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd-operated air ambulance was flying from Ranchi to Delhi. It took off at 7:11 pm and lost contact with air traffic control around 7:34 pm over a densely forested area near Bariatu Panchayat. At the time of the crash, residents reported heavy rain, strong winds, lightning, and thunder in the region. The victims included two crew members and five passengers. Among the passengers was Sanjay Kumar, a 41-year-old patient from Latehar district with severe burn injuries, being transferred for urgent treatment. He had been admitted to Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi on February 16 with 65 percent burns. Family members said they chose an air ambulance because his condition was too critical for a road journey. All seven bodies were recovered and sent for post-mortem, confirmed Sub-divisional Police Officer Shubham Khandelwal. The victims were identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi, and Dhuru Kumar. Authorities, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), said the Beechcraft C90 aircraft (VT-AJV) lost radar and communication contact roughly 20 minutes after takeoff. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to arrive in Chatra for a detailed investigation, and the black box will be examined to determine the cause of the crash. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Champai Soren expressed grief, while All India Trinamool Congress extended condolences and urged a transparent investigation. Redbird Airways, owned by Akshay Yadav and established in 2018, operates six planes and received permission for non-scheduled flights in 2019.   With inputs from NDTV