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The grief and symptom of household members of 7 people, who died successful an aerial ambulance clang adjacent Simaria successful Jharkhand’s Chatra district, were palpable connected Tuesday (February 24, 2026) afternoon, arsenic the bodies were handed implicit to them aft post-mortem examination.
The Beechcraft C90 aerial ambulance, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, was en way to Delhi from Ranchi erstwhile it crashed connected Monday (February 23, 2026) evening successful the Bariatu Panchayat country of Simaria, located heavy wrong a forest, sidesplitting each 7 onboard, including 2 pilots.
The post-mortem was conducted astatine Sadar Hospital successful Chatra."The bodies person been handed implicit to household members aft the autopsy,” a wellness section authoritative told PTI. The craft took disconnected from Ranchi airdrome astatine 7:11 p.m. and went missing astir 7:30 p.m.. It mislaid interaction with the aerial postulation power astir 20 minutes aft departure, different authoritative said.
Ranchi airdrome manager Vinod Kumar said inclement upwind could beryllium a imaginable crushed down the crash, though the nonstop origin would beryllium ascertained aft a elaborate probe. The deceased person been identified arsenic Captain Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.
As the bodies were handed implicit to household members, galore turned inconsolable, expressing daze and disbelief. Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Chief Minister Hemant Soren expressed grief implicit the incidental and said the State Government volition supply each imaginable enactment to the affected families.
"Since receiving the quality past nighttime of the heart-wrenching incidental involving the aerial ambulance, the territory administration, on with the State Government, has been afloat engaged successful addressing it. In this tragic event, we person mislaid a full of 7 of our own, including brave pilots, leaving maine profoundly anguished and stunned,” Mr. Soren said successful a station connected X.
"I commune to Marang Buru [supreme tribal deity] that the departed souls find peace, and the bereaved families get the spot and patience to endure this unbearable sorrow. The State Government stands successful implicit solidarity with each affected families, and it volition supply each imaginable assistance," helium said.
The Governor said the quality of the aerial ambulance mishap was highly heartbreaking. “My deepest condolences to the families who person mislaid their loved ones successful this tragedy. May deity assistance them the spot to carnivore this immense sorrow. Om Shanti," Mr. Gangwar said.
Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari said the State Government volition behaviour a probe into however support was fixed to the craft to alert during “inclement weather”. He besides said due compensation would beryllium fixed to the kin of the deceased.
D.S. Bhagat, the begetter of the deceased Vikas Bhagat, lamented that his son, who saved respective lives flying an aerial ambulance, mislaid his ain beingness successful the tragic incident. "An ill-fated begetter similar maine had to spot the mortal remains of my son; it cannot get much unfortunate," helium said.
The begetter of Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta, Bajrangi Prasad, said helium had sold each his onshore to marque his lad a doctor, who was posted astatine Sadar Hospital successful Ranchi. "He has a seven-year-old son. He was meritorious and had completed his MBBS from Odisha’s Cuttack," Prasad, who hails from Bihar’s Aurangabad district, said.
Family members of Sanjay Kumar (41), however, blamed the “poor” wellness infrastructure down the tragedy. "Had we fixed due attraction to my brother-in-law, Sanjay, successful Ranchi, precious lives could person been saved. I mislaid some Sanjay and my sister Archana Devi successful the incident," Mr. Kumar said.
The member of Sachin Kumar Mishra said helium had worked arsenic a nursing unit subordinate for galore years. "Sachin was everything to me. He was similar my ain child. For the past 2 to 3 years, helium had been moving successful an ambulance service." Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G. had earlier told PTI that the bodies of each 7 deceased were retrieved from the clang tract and shifted to Chatra infirmary for post-mortem examination.
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the Beechcraft C90 craft (VT-AJV) was operating a aesculapian evacuation formation connected the Ranchi-Delhi assemblage erstwhile it crashed successful Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district.
“The craft was airborne from Ranchi astatine 19:11 IST. After establishing interaction with Kolkata astatine 19:34 IST, the craft mislaid connection and radar interaction with Kolkata astatine astir 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi,” it said, adding that determination were 7 radical connected board, including 2 unit members.
An Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) squad has been dispatched to the clang site. According to the DGCA website, Delhi-based non-scheduled relation Redbird has six craft successful its fleet, including the 1 that crashed.
Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital successful Ranchi, told PTI that the aerial ambulance was arranged by 1 of their patients. "The patient, Sanjay Kumar, a nonmigratory of Chandwa successful Latehar district, was brought to the infirmary with 65% pain injuries connected February 16. He was being treated successful the hospital," helium said.
The household members decided to instrumentality him to Delhi for amended treatment, Mr. Sinha said. "They arranged for an aerial ambulance connected Monday. The diligent near the infirmary for Delhi astir 4.30 pm," helium said.
