Source The New Indian express
JORHAT, ASSAM — Five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel lost their lives on Saturday morning after a twin-engine AN-32 transport aircraft crashed while attempting to land at the Rowriah Air Force Station in Jorhat.
The Soviet-origin military transport aircraft was returning from a routine sortie at approximately 10:00 AM when the accident occurred. According to defense officials, the aircraft veered off the landing strip, crossed a parallel taxiway, and split into two pieces before erupting in flames.
Casualties and Survivors
Six personnel were on board the tactical cargo plane at the time of the crash. The IAF confirmed that five individuals made the “supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.”
The deceased have been identified as:
Squadron Leader Prashant Singh
Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar
Sergeant Jitendra Sharma
Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat
Agniveervayu Danish Alam
The co-pilot survived the catastrophic impact with severe injuries and was rushed to a local IAF medical facility, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
Emergency Response and Official Reaction
Emergency protocols were activated immediately at the airbase. Firefighting teams and rescue workers rushed to the crash site to contain the blaze and secure the wreckage. The entire military installation was temporarily sealed off to allow seamless emergency operations.
Expressing deep sorrow, the Indian Air Force released an official statement on X (formerly Twitter):
“The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam. IAF extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and stands firmly with them in this hour of grief.”
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also expressed their condolences, promising full state support to the military authorities and grieving families.
Inquiry Ordered
The IAF has ordered a formal Court of Inquiry to establish the exact cause of the accident. While preliminary reports hint at challenging local weather conditions—including heavy rains and low cloud cover in the region—aviation experts note that spatial disorientation or sudden technical anomalies will be thoroughly investigated.
The Antonov AN-32 fleet serves as the logistical backbone for the IAF’s operations in the rugged, high-altitude terrains of the Northeast, making this sudden loss a heavy blow to the regional transport squadron.
