NEW DELHI — Five Indian Air Force personnel were killed after a military transport aircraft crashed during a routine flight in the northeastern state of Assam, officials said Saturday.
The Indian Air Force said the Antonov An-32 transport aircraft “met with an accident” during a routine sortie in the Jorhat region of Assam.
“Crash site management and initial enquiries are on at this time,” the Air Force said in a statement, adding that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.
Indian media broadcast images from the scene showing thick black smoke rising from the wreckage and debris scattered across the crash site.
The Antonov An-32 is a twin-engine military transport aircraft widely used by the Indian Air Force for personnel and cargo operations. India operates a fleet of around 105 An-32 aircraft.
The crash is the deadliest involving the aircraft type since 2019, when an An-32 carrying 13 people crashed in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh near the Chinese border, killing everyone on board.
Source: Saudi Gazette