NEW DELHI: An air ambulance crashed in eastern India on Monday evening, killing all seven people on board, officials said.
The aircraft went down in Chatra district of the state of Jharkhand while en route from Ranchi to New Delhi.
District authorities said the plane took off from Ranchi airport at 7:11 p.m. Contact with air traffic control was lost around 7:30 p.m. Shortly afterward, officials received reports that the aircraft had crashed in a forested area of Bariyatu panchayat in Chatra.
Rescue teams rushed to the site and launched operations. All seven occupants had died at the scene, authorities said.
Officials identified the victims as two pilots, a patient, a doctor, a paramedic, and two attendants accompanying the patient. Crews recovered the bodies and transferred them to a nearby hospital.
The patient, 41-year-old Sanjay Kumar, had suffered 65% burn injuries. Doctors said his condition was critical and unsuitable for long-distance travel by road. His family arranged the air ambulance to transport him to New Delhi for advanced treatment.
Local residents said strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning struck the area at the time of the crash. Officials said bad weather may have contributed to the accident, but they cautioned that investigators have yet to determine the exact cause.
Civil aviation authorities have launched a formal investigation. Experts will examine the aircraft’s black box to establish what led to the crash.
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The tragedy cast a pall over the region. Residents described it as a major disaster and offered condolences to the families of the victims.
