Tragedy strikes as five killed in Indian Air Force plane crash

13 Jun 2026 • 8:12 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Tragedy strikes as five killed in Indian Air Force plane crash

  • An Indian Air Force Antonov AN-32 military transport aircraft crashed on Saturday morning in Jorhat, Assam, shortly after take-off during a routine sortie.
  • The incident resulted in the deaths of five personnel: Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.
  • One individual was rescued from the wreckage but remains in serious condition, while visuals from the crash site showed the aircraft extensively damaged by fire and split into two sections.
  • The Indian Air Force has initiated a court of inquiry to determine the cause of the accident and has released the names and pictures of those who perished, extending condolences to their families.
  • This crash marks the third major incident involving an AN-32 aircraft in the last decade, with the Soviet-era fleet, crucial for logistics in remote Indian regions, reportedly slated for phasing out by 2032.

IN FULL