Assam: An Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft crashed and caught fire at the Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday morning, killing five personnel. The aircraft went down within the station premises while landing during a routine sortie at approximately 10am.

The five personnel who lost their lives have been identified as Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat, and Agniveervayu Danish Alam. Emergency response teams were immediately deployed to control the blaze and assess the situation. The cause of the crash is yet to be ascertained, and the Air Force has launched an investigation.

The Antonov AN-32 is a rugged, twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft that serves as the "workhorse" of the Indian Air Force. The IAF operates a fleet of about 100 of these aircraft, designed to excel in extreme environments, including high-altitude airfields and hot tropical climates. The crash comes months after two pilots were killed in a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crash in the same district.

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