In a devastating incident, an air ambulance carrying seven people crashed in a forest area of Chatra district, Jharkhand, on February 23. The aircraft was en route to Delhi to transport Sanjay Kumar Shaw, a hotelier suffering from severe burns after a fire at his hotel.
The Beechcraft C90 airplane took off from Ranchi at approximately 7:11 PM but lost contact with Air Traffic Control shortly afterward. Reports indicate that poor weather conditions likely contributed to the crash.
Among those who perished were Sanjay and his wife, Archana Devi. Other victims included Dr. Vikas Kumar Gupta, a physician accompanying Sanjay for treatment; nurse Sachin Kumar Mishra; and both pilots, Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat and Captain Savrajdeep Singh.
Sanjay’s family had borrowed ₹7.5 lakh for the airlift and his care at Sri Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi after local treatments failed to improve his condition. His brother Vijay Shaw expressed disbelief when they learned about the crash just moments after sending him off: “Everything ended in a moment,” he said.
The tragic loss has left Sanjay and Archana’s two children orphaned. Relatives have voiced frustration over the lack of adequate medical facilities in Ranchi that forced them into such desperate measures for help.
Anant Sinha, CEO of Devkamal Hospital where Sanjay was initially treated, noted that the air ambulance was arranged by one of their patients. Meanwhile, Dr. Gupta’s father lamented the loss of his son who had dedicated years to becoming a doctor—and now leaves behind a young child.