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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday expressed deep anguish following the loss of five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel in the tragic AN-32 plane crash, declaring that the nation stands firmly with the bereaved families in this hour of grief.
"Deeply anguished by the loss of five Air Warriors in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam. Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Their courage and service to the nation will always be remembered with pride and gratitude. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The nation stands firmly with them in this hour of grief," said Singh. Earlier in the day, an AN-32 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed at the Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam. The AN-32 is a twin-engine military transport aircraft that has been extensively used by the Indian Air Force for logistics, cargo transportation and operational support missions across diverse terrains, including high-altitude and remote regions. According to the Ministry of Defence, IAF is mulling replacing its ageing AN-32 and IL-76 transport aircraft with the Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme to meet future strategic, tactical and operational airlift requirements. Confirming the incident, the IAF said, "An AN-32 transport aircraft met with an accident at the Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam. More details are awaited." The accident reportedly took place when the aircraft was attempting to land at the Jorhat airfield at 10:00 am. IAF further mentioned that five personnel lost their lives due to in the crash of an AN-32 transport flight. In a post on X, the IAF stated that the deceased personnel have been identified as Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. "The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam. Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. IAF extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and stands firmly with them in this hour of grief," said IAF. Following the incident, the Indian Air Force (IAF) ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the AN-32 transport aircraft crash. (ANI)
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