Chatra: A wave of mourning has spread across Jharkhand following a horrific aviation disaster on Tuesday morning. An air ambulance, flying from Ranchi to Delhi, crashed in the dense forest areas of Chatra district. Officials have confirmed that all seven individuals on board, including a critical patient and medical staff, lost their lives in the crash.

The aircraft took off from Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport at approximately 9:00 AM. It was transporting a critically ill patient from a private hospital in Ranchi to a specialized facility in New Delhi for emergency treatment.According to Air Traffic Control (ATC) sources, the pilot reported a technical glitch shortly after takeoff before the radar signal was abruptly lost over the Chatra region.

Local villagers in the Hunterganj block of Chatra reported seeing thick smoke billowing from the aircraft's engine before it plummeted into a remote forested hill. The impact was so severe that the aircraft caught fire instantly, leaving no survivors.Local police and teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the spot after trekking through difficult terrain. All seven charred bodies have been recovered and sent for post-mortem.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. Investigators are currently searching for the Black Box (Flight Data Recorder) to determine whether the crash was caused by engine failure, structural damage, or poor weather conditions.