Two Indian Air Force pilots lost their life on the evening of Thursday as the Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft went down in Karbi Anglong, in the state of Assam, amid a ‘training sortie,’ confirmed the news source to PTI. The IAF pilots have been identified as Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lts Purvesh Durarga.
“It is a sad moment because the news has been confirmed,” the IAF made an official statement.
“Every member of the IAF offers deep condolences and share the grief at this time,” the statement read.
For a moment, the contact could not be made with the plane after take-off.
The officials said the aircraft was on a normal training sortie for what was to have been an ordinary exercise and a routine operation when contact was lost with the airbase. The vessel had taken off from the Jorhat airbase where it had taken off, and the loss of contact was dated at 7:42 p.m.
The source further said the devastation was discovered at a remote location surrounded by hilly terrain in the area of Karbi Anglong, located approximately 60 km from the Jorhat airbase.
Seems like that is when people near the hills heard a loud explosion and witnessed a massive explosion at what was later realized to be the crash of the aircraft.
The Defense Minister Rajnath Singh declared his deep anguish over the tragic incident leading to the loss of two warriors-full of bravery and dedication.
“Their bravery and devotions for the nation will remain a testimony of honor and reverence,” sent Singh across an X medium. According to him, arms of the nation are there to extend every form of support to the families of those brave warriors lost in this great atrocity.
The Su-30MKI aircraft was involved in the ill-fated incident.
The Su-30MKI, less frequently designated as the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, is a twin-seat long-range multirole fighter manufactured in Russia by Sukhoi’s Su-30MKI.
The plane produces produced under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in India for the Indian Air Force.
This plane first joined the IAF forthwith in 1997 and made their backbone with over 260 esteemed aerial commanders.
Two hand-selected Su-30MKI aircraft from the Indian Air Force, standing side by side with the Israeli Air Force, were taken to Gagan Shakti (Indian) for the blooming-exercise, aptly named ThunderStrike.
There has not been any recent incident for the Su-30MKI fleet. In June 2024, a Sukhoi fighter had a crash in the Nashik District, Maharashtra. This was just a year after another Su-30MKI fighter had crashed in 2023 just after taking off from the Madhya Pradesh-based Gwalior airbase.
The formal inquiry coming will uncover the cause of the crash in Assam.
