All seven people aboard an air ambulance lost their lives when the aircraft crashed near Simaria in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday evening while traveling from Ranchi to Delhi, a senior state government official said. The plane, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, went down shortly after departing from Ranchi airport at 7:11 pm.
Earlier, Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar revealed that the aircraft lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) roughly 20 minutes after takeoff, according to PTI. He said that bad weather might have contributed to the crash, adding that the exact cause would be determined only after an official investigation.
Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G said, “All seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash. The plane was on the way to Delhi from Ranchi. The aircraft went missing around 7.30 pm. It crashed at Bariatu Panchayat area in Simaria.” She further said that the crash site lies in a remote forested area.
(This is a developing story. More to come)
