Tragedy strikes as five killed in Indian Air Force plane crash
A plane crash left five dead on Saturday (AFP/Getty)
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.
