Heartbreaking CCTV footage has emerged showing the final moments before an Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed at Jorhat Air Force Station in Assam, killing all five personnel on board during a training sortie. The video, which surfaced on Sunday, reportedly shows the aircraft after landing before it skidded off the runway, overturned and burst into flames, triggering a massive fire and emergency response at the airbase.
The accident occurred at around 10 am on Saturday within the premises of the military station. In an initial statement, the IAF confirmed that an AN-32 aircraft had met with an accident during a routine training mission and urged the public to avoid speculation while preliminary inquiries were underway.Later, the force announced that five personnel had lost their lives in the crash. The deceased were identified as Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. The IAF expressed deep condolences to their families and said it stands with them in this time of grief.
Emergency teams rushed to the crash site to extinguish the fire and secure the area. Residents living near the airbase reported hearing a loud noise before noticing thick plumes of black smoke rising from inside the installation.
The exact cause of the accident remains unknown, and the Indian Air Force has launched a preliminary investigation into the incident.The tragedy has also revived memories of the 2019 AN-32 disaster, when another IAF transport aircraft that took off from Jorhat went missing en route to Arunachal Pradesh before its wreckage was eventually located, with all 13 personnel on board declared dead.