The wreckage of an Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet, which went missing on Thursday evening, was found in the hills of Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Friday, officials familiar with the details said, adding that the plane’s two pilots were killed.
In the early hours of Friday, the Indian Air Force confirmed that the plane crashed in Karbi Anglong. This development came hours after the Su-30 MKI lost radar contact shortly after taking off from Jorhat Air Base on Thursday evening.
“The Su-30MKI, which was on a training mission, crashed in Karbi Anglong district, Assam, about 60 km from Jorhat,” the Indian Air Force said in the post on X.
In a later publication, the Indian Air Force confirmed that two pilots – Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Durajkar – died in the accident.
“The Indian Air Force acknowledges the loss of Squadron Ldr Anuj and Lt Col Poorvesh Durajkar, who were fatally injured in the Su-30 crash,” it said in X. “The entire IAF personnel express their deepest condolences and stand firmly with the bereaved family at this time of grief.” The plane took off from the air base in Jorhat on Thursday as part of a routine training flight. According to the Indian Air Force, the aircraft was in contact with ground control at around 7.42pm before it went off the radar.
Shortly after the plane was reported missing, teams from the Israeli Air Force and other security agencies launched a search and rescue operation. Around the same time, reports emerged from the Karbi Anglong area of a loud explosion-like sound being heard from a remote hill area near the Nileep massif below Chokihola. Local residents said they heard the sound in the evening and later noticed smoke rising from the hills.
Search teams later began working in the mountainous area to verify the reports. Officials said on Friday that they had recovered parts of the plane from the crash site.
They added that more details about the circumstances of the accident will be revealed after a detailed investigation into the accident.
The Sukhoi-30MKI is one of the most advanced and versatile fighter aircraft in the Indian Air Force, and forms a critical component of India’s frontline air defense capability. Developed through cooperation between Russia and India, the aircraft is designed for long-range missions and can perform air-to-air and air-to-surface combat roles.
The shockwave hung over Sector 22, the Gurugram residence of Squadron Leader Anuj Vashisht (32), as family members mourned the death of the eldest son. The news of Anuj’s death reached the family around 5 am.
Born into a family with a strong military background, including his father Anand Kumar who served as a sub in the Indian Army, Anuj first earned a degree in engineering before joining the Air Force.
The tragedy has shattered the celebration plans as plans were afoot for Anuj, who served in the IAF for nearly a decade, to marry a fellow IAF officer, according to his relatives.
His uncle, U.S., said: Bharadwaj: “He was a quiet child, and we always saw him smiling.”
A Nagpur pilot died days after his leave ended
In Nagpur, Maharashtra, the family of Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Durajkar (28) received news of the death just over a day after they last spoke to him via a WhatsApp call on Wednesday evening. The call was made about two weeks after Purvesh returned to Jorhat from his home on February 22 after his leave ended. His grief-stricken father, Ravindra Purvesh, said: “We spoke on Wednesday. His group leader called us and informed us about the incident.” “My daughter lives in the United States, and now I have lost my only son. How will we live without him?”
His father said he was very proud to be part of the Israeli Air Force. He added: “He would sometimes share his experience flying fighter planes and the speeds achieved by Israeli Air Force planes. He had great respect for his colleagues.”
Relatives and neighbors remember Purvesh’s passion for airplanes. “He used to make small drones and model airplanes himself. This passion eventually led him to the Air Force,” said Narendra Baladurkar, his teacher at South Point High School in Omkar Nagar in Nagpur.
After completing his bachelor’s degree in computer science, Purvesh joined the Indian Air Force in 2022. “Purvesh remained closely connected with the school even after joining the Air Force. When he was commissioned, he visited us, and about three years ago we invited him to be the chief guest at our Republic Day celebration,” said principal Mrunal Dastur.
According to the families of the pilots, Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Durajkar took part in Operation Sindoor, the military operation launched by India last year against terrorism and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), following India’s terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed.
With additional reporting from Sampoorna Panigrahi
