All seven passengers, including two crew members, on board a Beechcraft air ambulance, were killed after the aircraft crashed in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, officials said on Tuesday.

The Beechcraft C90 plane, operated by Redbird Airways, took off from Ranchi in Jharkhand at 19:11pm before requesting deviation due to weather and subsequently losing communication and RADAR contact, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

The air ambulance crashed on Monday night near Simaria in Chatra district, about 111km north of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand.

Reports said the flight was en route from Ranchi to the Indian capital New Delhi when the accident occurred.

The air ambulance had been arranged for a patient who was being referred to New Delhi for treatment.

A search and rescue team is at the location, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is being dispatched for investigation, the DGCA said.