IAF AN-32 bursts into flames after landing in Assam’s Jorhat(Photo Credit: IANS)
Guwahati: 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 on Saturday. According to the Indian Air Force(IAF) officials, the co-pilot has survived and is being provided treatment. A court of inquiry has been ordered by the Indian Air Force to ascertain the cause of the crash.
The accident took place when the AN-32 was trying to land at the Jorhat airfield. Firefighting operations are underway at the accident site in Jorhat, stated IAF officials. The five personnel in the An-32 accident have been identified as Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.
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Commenting on the incident, former Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Flight Operations Inspector Prashant Dhalla described the crash as unfortunate and said multiple factors could have contributed to the accident.”It’s a very unfortunate accident. The AN-32 is a widely used aircraft in the Indian Air Force and is primarily used for the transport of cargo. The surprising part is that this crash has happened within the vicinity of the Jorhart Air Force Station base. According to me, there can be multiple factors. That is a matter for the investigation. However, there were heavy rains reported. Also, low cloud activity was reported at Jorhart. It can be a case of spatial disorientation, a technical error, a weather related phenomena which has led to this catastrophic accident,” Dhalla told ANI.
Releasing an official statement on X, the Indian Air Force stated, “A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Emergency response teams have been deployed at the site, and rescue operations are currently underway. The Soviet-origin AN-32 is a twin-engine tactical transport aircraft that has served as a key workhorse of the IAF for decades, particularly in difficult terrains and high-altitude sectors in the Northeast and along the Himalayan frontier. Further details are awaited as rescue, assessment and investigation efforts continue.
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The latest incident has once again drawn attention to the aircraft’s operational history. Earlier in the day, the Indian Air Force said, “An AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force has met with an accident at the Jorgat Air Force station in Assam. More details are awaited.”
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