India · 13 June, 2026 · 3 min read
Indian Air Force AN-32 Crash Kills Five Personnel During Landing in Assam
An Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft crashed during landing at Jorhat, Assam. Five Indian Air Force personnel were killed in the crash.
Reported casualties count differs.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: independent reports split fuselage and tail twisted upwards.
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Conflicting early vs confirmed casualty reporting affects public understanding immediately.
Crash in Assam
An Indian Air Force AN-32 military transport aircraft crashed on Saturday during landing in the eastern state of Assam, killing five personnel on board, according to The Independent and TRT World.T
“killing five personnel on board”
The Independent said the twin-engine military transport aircraft crashed at around 10am soon after take-off and that the air force said the accident happened during a routine sortie involving an Antonov AN-32 aircraft at around 10am at Jorhat, Assam.
TRT World reported that the Russian-made Antonov An-32 “met with an accident” during a routine sortie in the Jorhat region, and it said “Crash site management and initial enquiries are on at this time.”T
The Independent also reported that visuals from the crash site showed the An-32 resting on its side with its fuselage ripped open and extensively damaged by fire, and it said the aircraft appeared to have split into two from the midsection.
The Independent added that a court of inquiry was being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident, while Al Jazeera said rescuers were seen recovering victims from the crash site.
Names, condolences, inquiry
The Independent said the IAF “deeply regrets the loss of five personnel” in the crash and released the names and pictures of those killed, identifying Squadron Leader Prashant Singh, Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar, Sergeant Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.
The Independent quoted Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh saying he was “deeply anguished by the loss of five air warriors” and wrote on X that they “made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.”
TRT World said the air force stated “A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” and it described NDTV footage showing a thick black plume of smoke and the aircraft apparently broken into pieces.T
South China Morning Post said the air force statement “The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat” and reported that an air force official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the co-pilot had survived.
Al Jazeera reported that the military transport aircraft crashed during a routine flight in Assam, killing at least five people on-board, and it said rescuers were recovering victims from the crash site.
What comes next
While The Independent and TRT World reported five deaths, other coverage diverged on whether anyone survived, with South China Morning Post saying an air force official told it the co-pilot had survived and Al Jazeera stating “killing at least five people on-board.”T
“So far, there are no reports of casualties in the accident”
The Independent said the IAF requested everyone to “refrain from speculation till preliminary results are not in,” and it reported that the air force said it “deeply regrets the loss of five personnel” and stood with bereaved families.
Global Times, via Xinhua, said the aircraft crashed while attempting to land at the IAF station in Jorhat district, about 298 km northeast of Dispur, and it added “So far, there are no reports of casualties in the accident.”
Global Times also said senior IAF officials rushed to the scene to coordinate rescue and response operations and that emergency teams worked to control a blaze at the crash site, while it said the cause of the accident had not been determined.
The Independent further noted that this marked the third major crash of an AN-32 in the last 10 years, referencing an AN-32 missing in July 2016 and another crash on 3 June 2019 in Arunachal Pradesh, near the border with China, where all those on board were killed.