Air Ambulance Tragedy in Chatra Wipes Out Family, Orphans Two Children
A devastating air ambulance crash in the dense Karmatand forest of Chatra district has extinguished the hopes of an entire family, leaving a community in deep sorrow and two young children orphaned. The aircraft, chartered to transport a critically injured man to Delhi for advanced medical treatment, went down under the jurisdiction of Simaria police station, claiming seven lives in a heartbreaking turn of events.
Family's Desperate Bid for Survival Ends in Catastrophe
Among the deceased were Sanjay Kumar, his wife Archana Devi, and their teenage nephew Dhruv Kumar, whose deaths have plunged their native Rakhat village in Latehar district into mourning. Sanjay, a hotel operator in the Bakoria area of Latehar, had suffered severe burn injuries just a week prior when a fire erupted at his roadside line hotel on February 16. Doctors, after initial treatment at a private hospital, urgently recommended transferring him to Delhi for specialized care, prompting the family to arrange a chartered air ambulance from Birsa Munda Airport on Monday evening.
The family's desperate efforts to save Sanjay's life involved significant financial strain. Relatives revealed that the air ambulance was booked for approximately Rs. 8 lakh, a sum they managed by taking a loan of nearly Rs. 2 lakh and pooling the rest from savings and contributions from family members. "We arranged the money somehow. We believed Delhi treatment would give him a second chance. Instead, we lost three lives," a grieving relative recounted at Chatra Sadar Hospital, where the bodies were brought for postmortem.
History of Hardship and Tragedy
This incident marks another tragic chapter for a family already familiar with loss. In 2004, Sanjay's father, who also ran a hotel, was allegedly killed by Maoists, forcing the family to relocate to Chandwa block headquarters. Sanjay had shouldered the responsibility of supporting the household, working tirelessly to stabilize the family through his hotel business. His elder brother, Vijay Saw, expressed the depth of their despair: "Sanjay had rebuilt everything with great difficulty. Now my family is shattered again."
The fire that led to this chain of events occurred while food was being prepared at the line hotel, jointly operated by Sanjay and his brother. An LPG leak triggered a blaze, critically injuring Sanjay, who had been helping with cooking. Following the lockdown, the business had been struggling, and Sanjay frequently traveled to manage operations, highlighting the family's resilience in the face of economic challenges.
Orphaned Children and Unimaginable Grief
The crash has left Sanjay's two minor children—13-year-old Shivam and 17-year-old Shubham—orphaned, losing both parents in a single night. At Chatra Sadar Hospital, elderly grandfather Baleshwar Sahu and other family members broke down as the bodies arrived. Sanjay's mother has been inconsolable since receiving the tragic news. Baleshwar described the situation as a double blow: first the fire accident and then the fatal crash while seeking better treatment.
He detailed how the family had exhausted all resources for Sanjay's recovery, even securing a large loan to book the aircraft for Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi. A relative added a poignant detail: "Rs. 6 lakh was deposited, but due to a shortfall of Rs. 2 lakh, the air ambulance service was delayed. We had no idea we were paying for a journey that would end in death."
This tragedy underscores the vulnerabilities faced by families in remote areas when accessing emergency healthcare, compounded by financial burdens and unforeseen disasters. The community now mourns not only the loss of lives but also the shattered dreams of a family that fought against adversity, only to meet a cruel fate in their quest for healing.
