An Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft crashed on Saturday morning while coming in to land at the Rowriah Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, triggering a fire at the airbase.
Fire and rescue teams rushed to the site to contain the blaze and assess the situation while smoke was seen rising from the crash site as officials launched rescue operations.
Photos and videos capturing the scene went viral on social media shortly after the incident. The Indian Air Force confirmed the accident but has released few details.
A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash. The Air Force has not yet disclosed whether there were any casualties or injuries, saying further information would be provided later.
The AN-32 is a Soviet-era twin-engine turboprop that has served as the backbone of India’s military airlift capability for decades.
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The aircraft has long been a key part of the Indian Air Force’s logistics fleet, regularly used to ferry personnel, supplies, and equipment to remote and difficult-to-access locations; particularly across India’s northeastern states and high-altitude outposts near the country’s borders.
The crash comes at a sensitive time for the IAF’s operations in the northeast, as this incident follows an earlier crash, months ago, in which an IAF Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district during a routine training mission, resulting in the deaths of both pilots on board.
The AN-32 has a troubled history with the Indian Air Force. In June 2019, an IAF AN-32 disappeared en route from Jorhat to an advanced landing ground in Arunachal Pradesh.
The aircraft, carrying 13 people, went missing after departing Jorhat, with its wreckage later found in a remote region of Arunachal Pradesh; there were no survivors.
