A pall of gloom has descended on the Patiyalkar village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh after news reports emerged about the crashing of a Tejas fighter jet at the Dubai Air Show.
Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who hails from the village, lost his life in the accident that cast a tragic shadow on the last day of the event.
Namansh (34) is survived by his wife, six-year-old daughter and his parents.
"We received information about the crash around 5 pm, when his father called me and told me to watch the news. People of the village have gathered here, and all are very sad,” Joginder Nath Syal, his uncle, told ANI news agency.
According to reports, Namansh’s wife, Afsaan, is also an Indian Air Force officer, while his father, Jagan Nath Syal, is a retired Army officer who later served as a school principal in Kangra. Both Jagan Nath and his wife Veena Syal are currently at Naman’s house in Coimbatore.
The single-engine lightweight aircraft crashed around 3.40 pm (IST) on Friday after the pilot had flown across the site of the prestigious air show during the demonstration flight.
The IAF has ordered a court of enquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.
The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the manufacturer of the aircraft, said it was deeply saddened by the loss of life of the "courageous IAF pilot".
