In a devastating turn of events, an air ambulance carrying a severely burned patient from Jharkhand crashed shortly after takeoff, claiming seven lives. The Beechcraft C90, chartered for a flight from Ranchi to Delhi, went down in Chatra’s Simaria forest around 7:34 PM Monday, just minutes into its journey.
Sanjay Kumar, 41, from Latehar’s Chandwa area, was the intended beneficiary of this urgent medical evacuation. A dhaba owner by trade, Sanjay suffered horrific injuries in a fire at his own hotel days earlier, with burns affecting nearly two-thirds of his body. Admitted to Ranchi’s Devkamal Hospital on February 16, his prognosis worsened, leading to the airlift arrangement. Accompanying him were his devoted wife Archana Devi and a nephew, turning what should have been hope into profound sorrow.
The crash orphans Sanjay’s two sons, 17-year-old Shubham and 13-year-old Shivam. Chandwa village echoes with lamentations as family members gather, grappling with unimaginable loss. ‘They were our everything,’ sobbed a relative amid the chaos.
Redbird Airways’ flight lifted off at 7:11 PM. Communication snapped abruptly, prompting a frantic search. Weather reports cited heavy rains and low visibility as possible culprits, though DGCA’s ongoing investigation will uncover the truth.
Among the dead: pilots Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh, physician Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta—who volunteered for the mission—paramedic Sachin Kumar Mishra, and attendants Dheeru Kumar alongside Sanjay and Archana.
This incident underscores vulnerabilities in air medical services, especially in India’s rugged terrains. As black boxes are recovered and autopsies conducted, the nation reflects on the perils faced by those in the line of duty and desperate patients seeking care. For the Kumar family, healing begins without parents—a wound time may never fully mend.