GUWAHATI: Five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel were killed after a transport aircraft skidded off the runway and caught fire while landing at the Air Force Station in Assam's Jorhat on Saturday morning, officials said.
The incident occurred while the aircraft, An-32, belonging to 43 Squadron, carrying cargo, was landing at the IAF's airbase in the Rowriah area.
The aircraft had taken off from the same air base earlier in the day but returned shortly after developing a technical issue.
“The aircraft experienced some technical problem after taking off and came back. While taxiing after landing, it skidded off the track and the mishap (fire) occurred,” a defence spokesman told this TNIE.
Eyewitnesses said a loud explosion was heard, and the area was engulfed in smoke.
Rescue and emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the site, while senior IAF officials rushed to oversee the operations.
The defence spokesman said the number of personnel on board was being ascertained and added that the entire air force station has been sealed, and no entry is allowed.
Further details were awaited as rescue operations continued at the air base.
Meanwhile, the IAF ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the An-32 transport aircraft crash. In a post on X, IAF wrote, "An IAF An-32 aircraft met with an accident today while landing at Jorhat. A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident."
Notably, the An-32 is a twin-engine military transport aircraft that has been extensively used by the Indian Air Force for logistics, cargo transportation and operational support missions across diverse terrains, including high-altitude and remote regions.