A tragic air ambulance crash in Jharkhand has left the state in mourning. The aircraft, en route from Ranchi to Delhi, plummeted into a forested area in Chatra district’s Simaria region on Monday evening. All seven people aboard perished in the fiery wreck, including the patient, his family, pilots, a doctor, and medical staff.
The patient at the center of this heartbreaking story was Sanjay Kumar, a 41-year-old from Chandwa in Latehar district. Sanjay ran a roadside dhaba, a modest eatery serving travelers. Disaster struck when a fire engulfed his own establishment a few days ago, leaving him with severe burns covering 65 percent of his body. Rushed to Devkamal Hospital in Ranchi on February 16, his condition deteriorated rapidly. Doctors recommended immediate transfer to a specialized facility in Delhi, prompting the family to charter an air ambulance. Tragically, this life-saving flight became their final journey.
Sanjay wasn’t alone. His wife, Archana Devi, and nephew accompanied him, all losing their lives in the crash. Back in Chandwa, the couple’s two young sons—Shubham, 17, and Shivam, 13—now face life as orphans. The village is shrouded in grief, with relatives weeping uncontrollably at the family home.
The ill-fated flight operated by Redbird Airways Private Limited departed Ranchi at 7:11 PM aboard a Beechcraft C90. Just 23 minutes later, at 7:34 PM, contact with Kolkata ATC was lost. Rescue teams later confirmed the plane had crashed in Simaria’s dense jungle amid reports of heavy rain and poor visibility.
Victims included Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh (pilots), Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta (doctor), Sachin Kumar Mishra (paramedic), Sanjay Kumar, Archana Devi, and Dheeru Kumar (attendant). Dr. Gupta had boarded specifically to monitor Sanjay’s critical condition.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe, with initial suspicions pointing to adverse weather. As investigators comb the crash site, questions swirl about aviation safety in emergency medical evacuations. For Sanjay’s orphaned boys, the loss is irreplaceable, a stark reminder of life’s fragility.