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Sukhoi-30 wreckage found in Assam, both pilots dead as jet crashes Karbi Anglong
Shortly after the aircraft was reported missing, teams from the IAF and other security agencies launched a search and rescue operation.
Wreckage of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft that went missing on Thursday evening were found in the hills of Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Friday, officials aware of the details said, adding that both pilots of the aircraft have been killed.
In the early hours of Friday, the IAF confirmed that the aircraft crashed in Karbi Anglong. The development came hours after the Su-30 MKI lost radar contact shortly after taking off from the Jorhat airbase on Thursday evening.
“The Su-30MKI which was on a training mission, crashed in the area of Karbi Anglong, Assam, approx 60 km from Jorhat,” the IAF said in the post on X.
In a subsequent post, the IAF confirmed that two pilots -- Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar -- were killed in the crash.
“IAF acknowledges the loss of Sqn Ldr Anuj and Flt Lt Purvesh Duragkar, who sustained fatal injuries in the Su-30 crash,” it said on X. “All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences, and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.” The aircraft had taken off from the airbase in Jorhat on Thursday as part of a routine training sortie. As per the IAF, the jet was last in contact with ground control at around 7.42 pm before it went off radar.
Shortly after the aircraft was reported missing, teams from the IAF and other security agencies launched a search and rescue operation. Around the same time, reports emerged from Karbi Anglong district of a loud explosion-like sound heard from a remote hill area near Nilip block under Chokihola. Locals said they heard the sound in the evening and later noticed smoke rising from the hills.
Search teams later began operating in the hilly terrain to verify the reports. On Friday, officials said they located parts of the jet from the crash site.
Further details regarding the circumstances of the accident will come to light after a detailed investigation into the incident is conducted, they added.
The Sukhoi-30MKI is one of the IAF’s most advanced and versatile fighter aircraft and forms a crucial component of India’s frontline air defence capability. Developed through a collaboration between Russia and India, the aircraft is designed for long-range missions and can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat roles.
Shock hung over the Sector 22, Gurugram residence of Squadron Leader Anuj Vashisht (32) as family members mourned the eldest son’s death. The news of Anuj’s death reached the family around 5am.
Born in a family with a strong military background, including his father Anand Kumar who served as a subedar in the Indian Army, Anuj first pursued an engineering degree before joining the air force.
The tragedy has shattered plans of celebration as plans were afoot for Anuj, who had served in the IAF for nearly a decade, to be married to a fellow IAF officer, according to relatives.
“He was a quiet child, we have always seen him smiling,” said his uncle US Bharadwaj.
Nagpur pilot died days after his leave ended
In Maharashtra’s Nagpur, the family of Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar (28) received the news about this death just over a day after they last talked to him on a WhatsApp call on Wednesday night. The call took place around a fortnight after Purvesh returned to Jorhat from his home on February 22 following the end of his leave. “We had spoken on Wednesday. His Group Captain got in touch with us and informed us about the accident” his grief-stricken father Ravindra Purvesh said. “My daughter lives in the US, and now I have lost my only son. How will we live without him?”
He extremely proud to be part of the IAF, his father said. “He would sometimes share his experience of flying fighter planes and the speeds that IAF jets achieve. He held his colleagues in high regard,” he added.
Relatives and neighbours recalled Purvesh’s passion for aircraft. “He used to build small drones and model aircraft on his own. That passion eventually led him to the air force,” said Narendra Palandurkar, his teacher at South Point High School in Nagpur’s Omkar Nagar, said.
After earning a BSc degree in computer science, Purvesh joined the IAF in 2022. “Purvesh remained closely connected with the school even after joining the air force. When he was commissioned, he visited us, and around three years ago we invited him as the chief guest for our Republic Day function,” the school’s principal Mrunal Dasture said.
According to the families of the pilots, Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar took part in Operation Sindoor, the military action launched by India last year against terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were killed.
With additional reporting from Sampurna Panigrahi
