All seven people on board an air ambulance were killed after the aircraft crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening. The Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90, operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi, lost contact with air traffic control shortly after takeoff at 7:11 pm and went down in a forested area under Kasaria Panchayat. Authorities confirmed that all bodies have been recovered.

The victims included two pilots, Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh, along with patient Sanjay Kumar (41), who was being shifted to Delhi for advanced treatment after suffering severe burn injuries. A doctor and other medical staff were also among those on board. Family members said the air ambulance was arranged as doctors had warned that the patient might not survive a road journey.

Officials said the aircraft lost communication around 7:34 pm, and local residents reported strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and thunder at the time of the crash. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team is being dispatched to determine the exact cause of the accident. Political leaders have expressed condolences and called for a thorough probe into the tragedy.