Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 13: Five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel were killed after an AN32 transport aircraft crashed and caught fire while landing at the Air Force Station in Assam’s Jorhat on Saturday morning. Only the co-pilot has survived, an IAF statement said.
“Five Indian Air Force personnel have lost their lives in the air crash involving the AN-32 transport aircraft at the Jorhat air base in Assam. The co-pilot has survived and is being provided treatment,” the statement said. “IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief,” a post from the IAF stated.
The Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the crash, officials said. The aircraft was on a routine sortie when the crash occurred at around 10 am. The IAF said personnel of the crash site management were at the spot, and initial enquiries were being conducted. It also urged people to refrain from speculation till preliminary results are in.
Emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the site to control the blaze and assess the situation. The cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained.
The deceased airmen were identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam, the statement said. The IAF did not provide details of the mishap, but said the incident occurred at 10 a.m. while the aircraft, belonging to 43 Squadron, was landing at its airbase in the Rowriah area of Jorhat.
“A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the statement read. A Defence spokesperson said the entire Air Force station was sealed after the accident, and no entry was allowed.
Photos and videos from the Jorhat airbase showing the aftermath of the crash have gone viral on social media. Visuals showed thick smoke billowing from the crash site as rescue teams rushed to the area and launched emergency operations. As per reports, the aircraft caught fire after crashing.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh mourned the loss of the five airmen in Assam. “Their courage and service to the nation will always be remembered with pride and gratitude,” Mr Singh said.
Offering his condolences, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, “The news of the martyrdom of our five brave soldiers in the Indian Air Force aircraft accident in Assam is extremely heart-breaking.”
The Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “On behalf of the people of Assam, I offer my thoughts and prayers with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. The government of Assam is in touch with the concerned authorities and is ready to offer any support and assistance.”
The crash comes months after two pilots of the Indian Air Force were killed in a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crash in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam. On March 5, the twin-seat fighter aircraft took off for a routine sortie from the Jorhat Air Force Station and lost communication with ground control at around 7:42 pm. After that, the aircraft could no longer be tracked. Officials said the fighter jet eventually crashed in a remote hilly area of Karbi Anglong district, located about 60 km from Jorhat.
The crash comes more than a year after another AN-32 aircraft made an emergency crash landing in Bagdogra in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district on March 7, 2025. All crew members survived that incident and no casualties were reported.
The Antonov AN-32 is a rugged, twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft that serves as the “workhorse” of the Indian Air Force. First built in the Soviet Union specifically for Indian requirements, the IAF operates a fleet of about 105 of these aircraft.
The AN-32 is designed to excel in extreme environments, functioning perfectly in high-altitude airfields and hot tropical climates. It can transport up to 7.5 tons of cargo, 50 passengers, or 42 paratroopers, and it is extensively used for supply drops in remote regions.
The AN-32 is a Soviet-era twin-engine turboprop transport aircraft that entered service in the 1980s. Designed to operate in challenging terrain and weather conditions, it is widely used for transporting troops, supplies and equipment. Many of the fleet of around 105 AN-32 aircraft the IAF operates, have undergone modernisation. About 35 aircraft were upgraded by Ukraine-based Ukrspetsexport, while the remaining upgrades are being carried out domestically.
