Ten persons including all seven onboard a small civil chartered aircraft were killed when the medical ambulance flight to Delhi from Patna crashed into a densely-populated residential area in bad weather near here on Wednesday night.
Faridabad’s SDM Pradeep said three persons on ground were among the dead when the P—12 turboprop aircraft belonging to Delhi-based Air Chartered Services India Private Limited crashed in Jawaharnagar locality near the IAF station at around 1035 p.m. shortly before landing at IGI airport in Delhi.
Two persons were also injured in the crash. The persons who lost their lives on the ground are believed to be residents of the houses hit by the plane.
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According to Delhi airport sources, the airplane lost control and nosedived from a height of about 8,000 feet fifteen minutes before landing. There were strong gusty winds due to a dust-storm at the time of the crash.
The plane caught fire as soon as it crashed on two houses sending up plumes of smoke.
The airplane was ferrying a critically ill patient Rahul Raj, a young Patna—based businessman, to be taken to Apollo Hospital in New Delhi for further medical management. Raj, who was in coma, was undergoing treatment in Patna’s Jagdish Memorial hospital. The airplane was arranged by Apollo Hospital.
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Besides the two pilots, two doctors and two medical attendants accompanying the patient were on board the ill—fated aircraft. The plane was piloted by Harpreeet with Manjeet Kataria as the co—pilot.
Dr Arshad and Dr Rajesh were the doctors while Ratnesh Kumar and Shiril the medical attendants.
The bodies of all the 10 victims were charred beyond recognition, according to Faridabad Police Commissioner P.K. Agarwal. The plane had taken off at 9.30 PM.