Indian Air Force fighter jet crashes in Assam, two pilots killed
Guwahati: Two Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel were killed after a Su-30MKI of Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Indian state of Assam during a training mission.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a statement on X, the IAF confirmed the deaths of Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar, who sustained fatal injuries in the Su-30 crash. The IAF said that the aircraft had crashed in the hilly Karbi Anglong district.
Earlier, the fighter jet had gone missing soon after taking off from the Jorhat airbase in eastern Assam on Thursday evening. The aircraft is believed to have crashed approximately 60km from Jorhat.
Local residents in the Karbi Anglong region said that they observed a massive fire following a huge sound in the interior hills near Chokihola.
The latest crash adds to a series of recent incidents involving IAF aircraft. Around ten days ago, a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Tejas light combat aircraft suffered major damage after overshooting the runway at a frontline airbase.
Previously, in November last year, a Tejas crashed during a demonstration flight at the Dubai Air Show, where the pilot was killed after the aircraft burst into flames upon impact.
