Seven Die as Air Ambulance Crashes in Jharkhand

The aircraft went missing at around 7.30 pm – shortly after taking off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm – and crashed in the dense forests of Simaria.

The Wire Staff

The aircraft went missing at around 7.30 pm – shortly after taking off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm – and crashed in the dense forests of Simaria.

seven die as air ambulance crashes in jharkhand

Security officials inspect the wreckage of a Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 air ambulance that crashed near Simaria, in Chatra district, Jharkhand, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Photo: PTI.

New Delhi: An air ambulance crashed in Jharkhand's Chatra district late on February 23, killing all seven people on board. There was a local storm at the time when the incident took place.

The flight was headed to New Delhi from Ranchi, according to reports.

"All seven on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash," Chatra Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G told the Press Trust of India.

PTI has identified the victims as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.

The ambulance had been arranged for Sanjay Kumar who was to undergo treatment for 65% burn injuries. A family member told NDTV that they had opted to use the air ambulance service because travelling by road would have been difficult in Kumar's condition.

The aircraft went missing at around 7.30 pm – shortly after taking off from Ranchi airport at 7.11 pm – and crashed in the dense forests of Simaria.

The Beechcraft C90 (VT-AJV) aircraft was operated by the company Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd.

This article went live on February twenty-fourth, two thousand twenty six, at zero minutes past eleven in the morning.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.