2 Indian Air Force pilots killed as fighter plane crashes in Assam
The deceased pilots were Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar.
Two pilots were killed when an Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft crashed soon after taking off from Jorhat airbase in the north eastern state of Assam yesterday evening, the force announced today (6 March).
The deceased pilots were Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar, according to a post by the IAF on X this morning.
"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," it said.
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After the Russian-origin aircraft had taken off, it was last in contact at 7:42pm, the IAF said.
The aircraft subsequently crashed in Karbi Anglong district of Assam, about 60 kilometres from Jorhat.
The Su-30MKI is a two-seater multirole long-range fighter jet developed by the Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF.
