Two Indian Air Force pilots were killed after a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in India’s northeastern state of Assam, according to officials of Indian media.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed on Friday that the aircraft, which was on a training mission, crashed in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam, about 60 kilometres from the Jorhat airbase.
The jet had taken off from Jorhat but went missing shortly afterward. Officials said communication with the Russian-origin fighter aircraft was lost at around 7:42 pm.
The crash occurred in a remote hilly area of Karbi Anglong. Local residents reported hearing a loud explosion from a nearby hill and later saw a large fireball.
The IAF identified the deceased pilots as Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar. In a post on X, the Air Force expressed condolences, saying all personnel stand with the bereaved families during this difficult time.
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragic loss of the two pilots.
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a twin-seat, long-range fighter aircraft developed by the Russian company Sukhoi and manufactured in India under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). First inducted into the IAF in 1997, the Air Force currently operates a fleet of more than 260 Su-30MKI jets.
Similar accidents have occurred in recent years. A Sukhoi fighter jet crashed in Nashik, Maharashtra, in June 2024, while another Su-30 aircraft went down shortly after takeoff from the Gwalior airbase in Madhya Pradesh in January 2023.
