In a heartbreaking tragedy that has stunned Jharkhand, an air ambulance carrying a critically injured patient crashed just 23 minutes after takeoff from Ranchi, claiming seven lives including the patient, his family, and medical crew. The incident occurred in Chatra district’s Simaria area, near Latehar, turning a family’s desperate bid to save a loved one into unimaginable loss.
Sanjay Kumar, a 41-year-old dhaba owner from Chandwa in Latehar district, suffered 65% burns in a devastating fire that gutted his roadside eatery on February 16. Rushed to Ranchi’s Devkamal Hospital, his condition deteriorated despite five days of intensive care. Doctors advised immediate transfer to Delhi for advanced treatment, prompting the family to book a Red Bird Airways air ambulance.
Pooling together nearly 8 lakh rupees through loans from friends and relatives, Sanjay’s family pinned their hopes on the high-tech flight. ‘We thought this would save him,’ a grieving relative shared, their optimism shattered by fate.
The aircraft departed Ranchi Airport at 7:10 PM on Monday with Sanjay, his wife Archana Devi, nephew Dhruv Kumar, pilot, co-pilot, critical care specialist Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta, and paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra aboard. Tragedy struck at 7:34 PM when contact with Air Traffic Control was lost. The chopper plummeted into Simaria, killing all on impact.
Dr. Gupta, a Bihar native long settled in Jharkhand, specialized in critical care anesthesia at Ranchi’s Sadar Hospital. His wife works at SBI Bank, and they leave behind an 8-year-old son now orphaned of his father. As investigations probe the crash’s cause—possibly technical failure or weather—these families grapple with profound sorrow, a stark reminder of air medical transport’s risks in India’s remote regions.