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Jharkhand air ambulance crash: Father says lack of medical facilities led to tragic loss
I sold my farmland to help my son become a doctor. If there were proper health facilities in Ranchi, there would have been no need to bring his patient to Delhi, says the grieving father
- PUBLISHED: Tue 24 Feb 2026, 5:31 PM
The father of one of the passengers on board a Beechcraft air ambulance that crashed in Jharkhand on Monday is inconsolable. When Vikram Kumar Gupta’s remains were brought on Tuesday morning to Sadar hospital in Chatra, about 130 km from Ranchi, his father was shattered.
Gupta was the doctor who accompanied his patient, Sanjay Kumar, who suffered 60 per cent burns and was shifted from the ICU. Kumar's relatives took a loan to hire the aircraft and bring him, along with his wife, to Delhi.
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The plane took off from Ranchi, but pilots requested a change to its flight path due to inclement. The aircraft subsequently lost communication, radar contact, and crashed. Among those who died were two pilots, paramedic, Gupta (the doctor), the patient and two of his relatives.
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“My son, the doctor, told me he was going to Delhi with patients, but later I learned the aircraft had crashed and my son is no more,” said the father, who could not control his tears. He broke down as he narrated the tragedy.
He told local media that his son struggled to become a doctor and that he sold his farmland to raise funds to ensure that he got a good medical education.
The father also did not hide his frustration and said: "If there had been proper health facilities in Jharkhand, they would have not gone to Delhi for treatment."
Bajrangi Pradad, the doctor’s uncle, told the media that Gupta had completed his MBBS and used to help his father. “He used to tell us, 'Uncle, the time has come to relax'. He passed away, and we are now out on the roads. What should we do?”
Relatives of the other passengers of the ill-fated carrier were also weeping as the remains of their dear ones were transported to the hospital.
