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Five Indian Air Force personnel have been killed after a military aircraft crashed while attempting to land at a base in the country’s remote northeast region on Saturday, the military confirmed.
“The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat,” the Indian Air Force said in a statement on Saturday without specifying the total number of people onboard at the time of the crash, nor did it confirm whether there were additional survivors beyond the fatalities.
However, an air force official, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to brief the media, told AFP that the co-pilot survived the incident.
Television footage broadcast by NDTV showed a thick column of black smoke rising from the crash site, with images suggesting the aircraft had broken apart on impact. The visuals underscored the severity of the accident as emergency teams worked in the aftermath.
The air force confirmed that the aircraft, a Russian-made Antonov An-32, was on a “routine sortie” when it went down while approaching the runway for landing. The twin-engine turboprop is widely used by the Indian Air Force for operations in difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions, particularly in high-altitude regions.
In its statement, the force also said it “extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and stands firmly with them in this hour of grief,” signalling support for the families of the deceased personnel.
A court of inquiry has been set up to determine the cause of the crash, according to the air force.
The An-32 fleet, numbering around 100 aircraft in Indian service, plays a critical role in logistics and humanitarian missions across remote and mountainous areas. Despite its rugged design, the aircraft has been involved in previous incidents, including a major crash in 2019 in Arunachal Pradesh near the China border, which claimed 13 lives.
