GUWAHATI: Five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel were killed on Saturday morning after an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed and caught fire at the Air Force Station in Assam’s Jorhat.
The IAF confirmed the casualties and identified the deceased personnel as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.
According to the Air Force, the mishap occurred at approximately 10:00 AM during a routine sortie. Initial reports indicate that the twin-engine aircraft went down within the premises of the Air Force Station while attempting to land, which triggered a major fire.
“An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident during a routine sortie today at approximately 1000h at Jorhat, Assam. Crash site management and initial enquiries are on at this time. IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief,” the IAF said in a statement on social media platform X.
Emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the site to contain the blaze and secure the area. Thick smoke was seen billowing from the Air Force Station following the crash. While the exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, the Air Force has initiated a formal investigation into the matter.
Reacting to the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We are aware of the IAF transport aircraft accident in Jorhat. We are awaiting further details.”
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi also expressed his grief over the tragedy. “The news of the martyrdom of our five brave soldiers in the Indian Air Force aircraft accident in Assam is extremely heartbreaking,” he wrote on X, offering his condolences to the bereaved families.
The Antonov AN-32 is a Soviet-era, twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft custom-built for Indian requirements. Considered the “workhorse” of the IAF, which operates a fleet of around 100 such units, the aircraft is designed for extreme environments, hot tropical climates, and high-altitude operations. It has a payload capacity of 7.5 tonnes and can carry up to 50 passengers or 42 paratroopers, making it crucial for supply drops in remote regions.
This accident comes just months after another major IAF mishap in the state. On March 5, an IAF Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet had crashed in the remote, hilly terrain of Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, around 60 km from Jorhat, killing both pilots on board. That aircraft had also taken off from the Jorhat Air Force Station for a routine evening sortie before losing contact with ground control.
