A routine Saturday turned into tragedy in Assam's Jorhat after an Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed while coming in to land. Five Air Force personnel were killed in the accident. A local who was near the spot has now recounted the harrowing final seconds before the plane went down.
An Eyewitness Account: First Smoke, Then a Quake-Like Tremor
Speaking to news agency ANI, a witness at the scene described what he saw and heard. According to him, the aircraft was trying to land and, moments before touchdown, white smoke was seen coming out of it. In his words, “A plane arrived and landed here. Before landing, it released white smoke. After that, when black smoke came out, it started making noise. After the noise, this entire area started shaking as if…” an earthquake had struck.
The white smoke was followed by black smoke, loud sounds rang out, and then came a blast so powerful that the surrounding ground trembled. Hearing the noise, people from the neighbourhood rushed to the spot and found the wreckage of an aircraft there.
When and Where It Happened
According to the information available, the Russian-built AN-32 was on a regular flight and crashed at around 10 am. The accident occurred as the aircraft, belonging to the 43 Squadron, was landing at the Jorhat Air Force Station in the Roweriah area. The plane was carrying cargo.
The Five Airmen Who Died
Five IAF personnel lost their lives in the crash. The deceased are Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveer Vayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveer Vayu Danish Alam.
Inquiry Ordered, Experts at the Site
A detailed investigation is expected to be ordered to determine the exact cause of the crash. For now, an initial probe is under way, with technical experts and Air Force officials examining the crash site.
What the AN-32 Is
The Soviet-origin AN-32 is a twin-engine tactical transport aircraft that has served as a workhorse for the Indian Air Force for decades. It has played a particularly vital role in ferrying supplies and equipment to the rugged, hard-to-reach regions of the Northeast and the Himalayan border areas, where access is far from easy.
