Guwahati: Two pilots lost their lives when a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet of the Indian Air Force went down in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, the IAF confirmed on Friday, March 6, 2026.
The aircraft, on a routine training mission, lost radar contact shortly after taking off from Jorhat airbase on Thursday evening and is believed to have crashed near Nilip Block in Chokihola, a remote hilly area around 60 km from Jorhat.
Residents reported hearing a loud explosion around 7 PM, followed by smoke rising from the hills.
The crash site lies in dense forest, making access challenging.
The deceased have been identified as Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar. The IAF paid tribute to them, expressing condolences and saying all personnel stand with their families during this difficult time in a post on X.
The Sukhoi-30MKI is a two-seat, long-range multirole fighter developed by Russia’s Sukhoi and produced under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF, which currently operates over 260 of these jets.
This is not the first incident involving the aircraft, with previous crashes reported in Nashik, Maharashtra, in June 2024, and near Gwalior airbase in January 2023.
Search and rescue teams have been deployed to locate the site, and authorities continue to assess the situation.