Guwahati: An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed during a routine sortie at the Air Force Station in Assam’s Jorhat on Saturday, killing five personnel and leaving the co-pilot injured.
The Indian Air Force identified the personnel who lost their lives in the crash as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. The force said the five air warriors made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty while serving the nation.
The aircraft reportedly met with the accident at around 10 a.m. while operating from the Jorhat air base. Preliminary reports suggest it crashed while attempting to land and caught fire after going down within the station premises.
Emergency response and firefighting teams were immediately rushed to the site to contain the blaze and carry out rescue operations. While five personnel onboard lost their lives in the crash, the co-pilot survived and is currently undergoing medical treatment.
In a statement, the Indian Air Force said, “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 requests everyone to refrain from speculation till preliminary results are not in.”
An investigation has been launched to ascertain the cause of the accident.
The Antonov An-32 is a twin-engine military transport aircraft extensively used by the Indian Air Force for logistics, troop movement and supply operations. The aircraft can carry around 7.5 tonnes of cargo, 50 personnel or 42 paratroopers and is designed to operate from high-altitude and challenging airfields.
The incident comes months after a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on March 5 during a routine sortie after taking off from Jorhat Air Force Station. The aircraft lost contact with ground control before crashing in a remote hilly area, resulting in the deaths of both pilots onboard.