GUWAHATI: Five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel lost their lives after an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed while attempting to land at the Air Force Station in Jorhat’s Rowriah area on Saturday, June 13.
According to the IAF, the aircraft was involved in an accident during a routine sortie at around 10:00 am. While the pilot and four crew members were killed in the crash, the co-pilot survived and is currently undergoing medical treatment.
The deceased personnel have been identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.
In a statement posted on X, the Indian Air Force expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, saying, “IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief.” The force also paid tribute to the personnel, stating that they made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty and extended its deepest condolences to their families.
Senior IAF officials have reached the crash site, and crash site management operations, along with preliminary inquiries into the incident, are currently underway.
Earlier, the Air Force had stated that the aircraft “met with an accident during a routine sortie today at approximately 1000h at Jorhat, Assam,” adding that further details regarding the incident will be released as the investigation progresses.