ASSAM: An Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft crashed in the northeastern state of Assam on Saturday, killing all five airmen on board, according to Indian military officials.
The aircraft involved in the accident was an Antonov AN-32, a twin-engine medium transport plane widely used by the Indian Air Force for carrying military personnel, weapons, and equipment. The crash occurred during a routine flight near Assam’s Jorhat district.
In a statement, the Indian Air Force said the aircraft suddenly went down while on its scheduled mission. Rescue and relief teams were immediately dispatched to the crash site, but all five crew members aboard the aircraft lost their lives.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. Officials said initial evidence is being collected and examined as part of the inquiry.
Images circulated by Indian media showed thick black smoke billowing from the crash site. The aircraft appeared to have been completely destroyed, with wreckage scattered across the area.
The latest tragedy has once again drawn attention to the Indian Air Force’s history of aircraft accidents, particularly involving aging Russian-made aircraft.
In June 2019, an AN-32 aircraft carrying 13 military personnel crashed near the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh after going missing. All those on board were killed.
Another major incident occurred in 2016 when an AN-32 aircraft disappeared over the Bay of Bengal while carrying 29 people. Despite extensive search efforts, the aircraft was never recovered and all passengers were presumed dead.
In December 2021, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, was among 13 people killed in a military helicopter crash in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Several Indian Air Force combat and training aircraft were also involved in accidents during training exercises last year, reigniting concerns over the maintenance and operational readiness of the country’s aging military fleet.
The findings of the latest investigation are expected to shed light on the circumstances that led to the Assam crash.
