In a gut-wrenching aviation mishap, an air ambulance plummeted in Jharkhand’s Chatra late Monday, killing all seven aboard: patient, kin, pilots, doctor, and staff. The ripple of devastation reached Punjab’s Amritsar, where co-pilot Swarajdeep Singh’s family collapsed in grief. Having started his flying job only a year and a half back, the 2-year married father of a toddler embodied unfulfilled dreams cut short.
From Govind Nagar, Swarajdeep was cherished for his noble character and warmth. ‘An exemplary son who lit up his parents’ lives,’ mourned locals. Just before takeoff from Ranchi en route to Delhi, he rang his mom, saying he’d call back soon. Silence followed; unanswered calls fueled fears, confirmed by media and official email.
Voices from the neighborhood, including councilor Inderjeet Singh Pandori and Amardeep Singh, decry the ‘unbearable pain’ of such young losses. Calls grow louder for rigorous safety audits on flights amid rising incidents. Swarajdeep’s tale, woven with promise and peril, grips the nation, prompting reflections on aviation risks and the human cost behind every flight.