Air Ambulance Crashes in Eastern India, All Seven On Board Killed

An air ambulance crashed in a forest near Simaria in Jharkhand state, eastern India, killing all seven people on board, Indian officials confirmed.

The Beechcraft C-90 aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways based in Delhi, was transporting a burn victim from Ranchi to Delhi. It departed Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi at 7:11 p.m. local time on Monday. Contact with Kolkata radar was lost at 7:34 p.m., approximately 100 nautical miles southeast of Banaras, with the call sign "Dem White-AGV." The plane crashed shortly afterward in a remote forested area near Simaria in Chatarai, Jharkhand.

Kirti Shree Ji, deputy commissioner of Chatarai, initially stated that the crash site's location deep in the forest made it difficult to confirm casualties. Rescue teams later verified that all seven aboard, including pilots and medical staff, were dead.

Indian authorities have not disclosed the cause of the crash. Investigations are expected to examine mechanical failure, weather conditions and flight protocols. Air ambulances play a key role in transporting patients from remote areas to specialized facilities in India, though such accidents underscore aviation safety challenges in dense forests and hilly terrain.

Amu TV reported the initial unconfirmed casualty count from the deputy commissioner, while Khaama Press noted the subsequent official confirmation of seven deaths.