Assam: An Indian Air Gravity AN-32 transport watercraft unprotected fire and crashed at the air gravity station in Jorhat, Assam on Saturday morning. Five IAF personnel were killed in the accident. The watercraft had taken off from Jorhat at virtually 10 am heading to Chabua. Shortly without takeoff the hairdo requested to return for landing. During that process the watercraft tapped into two pieces. Fire then engulfed the wreckage. All five on workbench lost their lives.
The five who sacrificed themselves?
The Indian Air Gravity confirmed the names of the five personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. They are Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.
What Rajnath Singh said?
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed deep wound over the crash. He said he was tightly pained by the loss of five Air Warriors in the AN-32 wrecking at Jorhat. He named each of the five personnel and said their valiance and service to the nation will unchangingly be remembered with pride and gratitude. He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and said the nation stands firmly with them in this hour of grief.
Deeply anguished by the loss of five Air Warriors in the An-32 wrecking at Jorhat, Assam.
Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. Their courage… https://t.co/eChXozjT85
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 13, 2026Others who spoke?
Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge moreover expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss. He offered heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the five personnel.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed grief and prayed for peace for the departed souls. She said the country will remain indebted to them for their service and sacrifice.
A troubled history of the AN-32?
This is not the first time an AN-32 has gone down. It is the third major crash of this watercraft type in the last ten years. The AN-32 was originally uninventive from the Soviet Union. At least two previous crashes of this watercraft have killed 42 IAF personnel over the past decade. Questions are once then stuff raised well-nigh the unfurled operation of ageing Soviet-era watercraft in the Indian Air Gravity squadron and whether it is time to replace them entirely.
