Rahul Gandhi expresses grief over two IAF pilots killed in Sukhoi crash

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the death of two Indian Air Force officers in the crash of a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft in Assam.

The IAF identified the deceased officers as Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar, who sustained fatal injuries when the aircraft crashed during a training mission in the Karbi Anglong district, about 60 km from Jorhat.

In a message posted on Facebook, Rahul Gandhi said the news of the officers’ deaths was “deeply saddening and painful”.

“The news of the martyrdom of Indian Air Force soldiers squadron leader Anuj and flight lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar in a plane crash is deeply saddening and painful,” he wrote.

Paying tribute to the officers, the Congress leader also conveyed condolences to their families. “I pay my heartfelt tribute to these brave sons of India and express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. The entire nation stands with them in this hour of grief,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Indian Air Force confirmed the deaths of the two officers in the Su-30MKI crash and expressed solidarity with their families.

In a post on X, the IAF said, “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 families in this time of grief.”

According to defence officials, the two-seater fighter jet had taken off for a routine training sortie when it lost radar contact on Thursday evening while flying over Karbi Anglong district. The aircraft later crashed in the hilly region, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation.

The Defence Public Relations officer had earlier confirmed that the aircraft went missing from radar during the mission, following which teams from the Air Force and other security agencies were immediately dispatched to ascertain the situation.

Search and rescue personnel from the IAF, along with local administration and security agencies, were mobilised to locate the aircraft and determine the exact circumstances surrounding the crash.

The Sukhoi-30MKI, developed by Russia’s Sukhoi and manufactured in India under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, is one of the IAF’s frontline multirole fighter jets and forms a key pillar of India’s air defence capability.

Similar incidents involving the aircraft have occurred in the past. In August 2019, a Sukhoi-30MKI crashed in a paddy field near Tezpur in Assam during a routine mission, though both pilots ejected safely. Earlier, in May 2015, another Sukhoi-30MKI went down about 36 km south of the Tezpur Air Force base shortly after take-off, with the pilots also ejecting safely before impact.

Authorities are expected to order a detailed inquiry to determine the cause of the latest crash.

With IANS inputs