Guwahati, June 13: Five Indian Air Force personnel were killed after an AN-32 transport aircraft met with an accident during a training sortie at the Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday morning.
Crash Details
The accident occurred at around 10 am within the premises of the airbase, where the aircraft reportedly caught fire after crashing, triggering an emergency response.
In a statement posted on X, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said, “An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident during a training 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.”
A few hours later, the IAF confirmed the deaths of five personnel in the accident.
Deceased Identified
“The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam,” it said in another post.
The deceased were identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.
Contradictory Initial Reports
“IAF extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and stands firmly with them in this hour of grief,” the statement added.
Initial reports following the crash had suggested that one pilot was feared dead while the co-pilot had sustained injuries and was undergoing treatment at the Air Force Station's medical facility. The Air Force later confirmed the loss of five personnel.
Emergency Response
Emergency teams were rushed to the crash site immediately after the accident to contain the fire and secure the area. Crash site management operations and preliminary inquiries are currently underway.
Residents living near the airbase said they heard a loud noise before noticing thick plumes of smoke rising from inside the military installation.
“We heard a loud noise and came outside to see what had happened. That's when we noticed thick black smoke billowing from the area,” a local resident said.
Another resident claimed the aircraft appeared to have been on the ground at the time of the incident.
“The aircraft was not in flight. It appeared to be stationed on the ground, and I did not hear the sound of an aircraft flying overhead. I only saw thick black smoke rising from the site,” the resident said.
The circumstances leading to the accident remain unclear and the exact cause has not yet been established. The Indian Air Force has initiated preliminary inquiries into the incident.
The Soviet-origin AN-32 is a twin-engine tactical transport aircraft that has served as one of the IAF’s key workhorses for decades, particularly in high-altitude regions and difficult terrain across the Northeast and the Himalayan frontier.
The accident has revived memories of the June 2019 AN-32 tragedy, when an IAF aircraft carrying 13 personnel went missing after taking off from Jorhat Air Force Station for Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh. Following an extensive search operation, the wreckage was located in the mountainous terrain of Arunachal Pradesh and all 13 personnel on board were declared dead.
