A Sukhoi Su-30MKI that went missing shortly after taking off from Jorhat on Thursday evening has crashed in Karbi Anglong, the Indian Air Force said, adding that search operations are underway.
The fighter jet was on a routine training mission and went down around 60 km from Jorhat, officials said. The fate of the two pilots on board remains unknown.
The aircraft lost radar contact soon after taking off from the Jorhat airbase, prompting authorities to launch a search-and-rescue mission to locate the jet and its crew.
According to defence officials, the last communication between the aircraft and ground control occurred at around 7.42 pm, after which the jet disappeared from radar.
“The aircraft had two pilots on board and there has been no contact with them so far. Search operations have been launched to locate both the aircraft and the pilots,” an IAF official said, requesting anonymity.
Meanwhile, residents reported hearing a loud explosion-like sound around 7 pm from a remote hill area near the Nilip in Karbi Anglong district. Unverified images of the suspected crash site have also been circulating on social media.
The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of more than 260 Su-30MKI fighter jets.
This is not the first such incident involving the aircraft. In June 2024, a Sukhoi fighter jet crashed in Nashik district, while another Sukhoi Su-30MKI crashed in January 2023 after taking off from the Gwalior Air Force Station.
Comments are closed.