Two pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost their lives after a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Thursday night. The aircraft had earlier gone missing shortly after taking off from the Jorhat airbase during a routine training mission.
Pilots identified
The IAF confirmed that the pilots killed in the crash were Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar.
In a message posted on social media platform X, the Air Force expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased officers.
‘All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,’ the statement said.
Jet went missing shortly after takeoff
According to officials, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft had taken off from the Jorhat airbase for a training sortie. Contact with the aircraft was lost at around 7:42 pm.
The jet later crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, located roughly 60 kilometres from Jorhat, where the aircraft had originally departed from.
About the Sukhoi Su-30MKI
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a two-seat, multirole, long-range fighter jet originally developed by the Russian aerospace company Sukhoi. In India, the aircraft is produced under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force.
The IAF currently operates a fleet of more than 260 Su-30MKI aircraft, making it one of the backbone fighters of India’s air combat capability.
Previous Sukhoi crashes
This is not the first incident involving the fighter jet in recent years. In June 2024, a Sukhoi aircraft crashed in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. Earlier, another Su-30 jet went down in January 2023 after taking off from the Gwalior airbase.
Authorities are expected to investigate the latest crash to determine what led to the loss of the aircraft and the two pilots.
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