UPDATE - Air ambulance crashes in eastern India, killing all 7 onboard

REVISES HEADLINE, DEATH TOLL

By Saadet Gokce and Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - An air ambulance crashed Monday in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, killing all seven people onboard, including two crew members, according to officials.

The private chartered plane lost communication soon after taking off from the state capital Ranchi, said a statement from India’s Civil Aviation Directorate on the US social media company X’s platform.

Officials in Jharkhand said the crash occurred near Simaria in Chatra district.

A police official in Chatra told Anadolu early Tuesday that all seven onboard the plane have died.

The aircraft had requested a deviation due to the weather and communication and radar contact was lost just 23 minutes after takeoff.

It was identified as a Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd Beechcraft C90 aircraft VT-AJV carrying out a medical evacuation to the capital New Delhi.

Authorities had launched an operation to trace the plane.