Guwahati: At least five IAF personnel were killed after an AN-32 transport aircraft met with an accident while landing at the Jorhat airbase in Assam and burst into flames on Saturday, defence officials said.
According to the IAF, the incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. after the aircraft landed at the Jorhat Air Force Station. The aircraft reportedly burst into flames shortly after touchdown, triggering an immediate emergency response from Air Force and airport firefighting teams.
IAF for decades, particularly in difficult terrains and high-altitude sectors in the Northeast and along the Himalayan frontier.
The latest incident has once again drawn attention to the aircraft’s operational history.
In June 2019, an IAF AN-32 carrying 13 personnel went missing after taking off from Jorhat Air Force Station for Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh. After an extensive search operation, the wreckage was located in the mountainous terrain of Arunachal Pradesh, and all 13 personnel on board were declared dead.
Another AN-32 disappeared over the Bay of Bengal in July 2016 while flying from Chennai to Port Blair with 29 personnel on board. Despite one of India’s largest search operations, the aircraft could not be located for years, and all those on board were presumed dead. Debris linked to the aircraft was eventually identified in 2024.
The AN-32 fleet has also witnessed other accidents over the years, including operational incidents at military airfields.
