Sukhoi crash in Assam: Two pilots were killed after sustaining injuries following a Sukhoi fighter jet crash in Assam. The aircraft had taken off from Jorhat air base and lost contact after 7:42 PM on Thursday evening.
2 IAF pilots killed in Su-30MKI fighter jet crash
Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots – Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar – were killed after a Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district during a training mission.
The Sukhoi fighter aircraft went missing from radar contact while flying over Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Thursday evening, shortly after taking off from Jorhat airbase.
Defence PRO Lt Col Mahender Rawat said that the Su-30 MKI fighter jet went missing from the radar when it was flying over Karbi Anglong district in the evening.
“An IAF Su-30 MKI is reported overdue. The aircraft had taken off from Jorhat air base in Assam and was last in contact at 7:42 pm,” Rawat said in a statement.
IAF acknowledges the loss
Confirming the deaths, the IAF said both officers sustained fatal injuries in the crash.
“The IAF acknowledges the loss of Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar, who sustained fatal injuries in the Su-30 crash. All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the Indian Air Force said in a statement.
According to news agency ANI, locals reported hearing a loud explosion and were seen using torches and lights to aid in the search. The crash site is roughly 60 km from Jorhat.
Speaking to ANI, a local stated that they saw the plane coming down in the evening yesterday.” We heard a loud noise and an explosion… The police from the Chowki Wala police station are here. They are searching for him from the helicopter,” he said.
An aircraft is termed overdue if it fails to arrive at its destination or fails to report within 30 minutes of its estimated time of arrival (ETA) or last reported position, prompting activation of search and rescue (SAR) procedures.
About Su-30MKI
Su-30MKI is a two-seater multirole long-range fighter jet developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi. It is now built under licence by HAL for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF operates a fleet of over 260 Su-30MKI jets. A Sukhoi fighter plane had crashed in the Nashik district of Maharashtra in June 2024. Another Sukhoi-30 jet had crashed in January 2023, after taking off from the Gwalior airbase.
(With inputs from news agencies)
