Ranchi- Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday mourned the deaths of two Indian Air Force pilots who lost their lives when a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft crashed in Assam.
The officers who died in the accident were Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar.
Expressing grief through a social media post, Soren said the tragic loss of the two brave officers had deeply saddened him.
He wrote that the nation would always remember the service and sacrifice of Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Duragkar, adding that his thoughts were with the grieving families and that the country stands in solidarity with them during this difficult time.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also conveyed his condolences over the tragic deaths. In a Facebook post, he described the incident as extremely painful and paid tribute to the fallen officers while extending sympathies to their families.
The Indian Air Force confirmed that both pilots suffered fatal injuries in the crash that occurred on Thursday.
In a post on X, the IAF said that all personnel of the force extend heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased officers and stand firmly with them in this moment of sorrow.
Defence officials said the Su-30MKI was undertaking a routine training flight when it crashed in the Karbi Anglong region of Assam, around 60 km from Jorhat, after reportedly losing radar contact.
The Sukhoi-30MKI is a key multi-role combat aircraft in the IAF’s fleet and plays an important role in safeguarding India’s airspace.
In previous incidents, a Su-30MKI crashed near Tezpur in August 2019 during a training mission, though both pilots managed to eject safely. Another similar crash occurred in May 2015 south of the Tezpur Air Force base, with the pilots escaping safely after ejecting.
With inputs from IANS