A powerful blast took place inside an Indian Air Force (IAF) Antonov 32 (AN-32) military cargo aircraft while it was taxiing after landing at the Rowriah airbase at about 9:30 am on Saturday, sources have told THE WEEK.
The aircraft belonged to the 43 Squadron of the IAF.
Sources said five IAF personnel, including the pilot—a squadron leader—have lost their lives in the incident while one, the co-pilot of the ill-fated aircraft, is battling for his life with serious injuries.
The wreckage of the aircraft is located inside the airbase, and the entire base has been sealed off.
Another source said the aircraft ‘turned turtle’ upon landing, implying that the AN-32 flipped on its back.
A court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
Local residents in Jorhat with residences near the airbase say they heard a huge sound from inside the airbase, followed by thick black smoke spewing up from the explosion site. Later, fire tenders rushed in to put out the flames.
The Rowriah airbase is a key and strategic installation that is home to a Sukhoi 30 IAF squadron. It is also the origin point for connectivity to remote and far-flung areas of the Northeast region.
The base also serves as the main lift-off point for the elite Special Forces that frequently launch operations against insurgents based in the Northeast and along the Indo-Myanmar border.
A medium tactical transport aircraft of Russian origin, AN-32s are used mainly by IAF for troop and cargo transportation, para-dropping and casualty evacuation. Inducted in a seven-year period from 1984-1991, the Total Technical Life (TTL) of the aircraft is 20,000 flying hours, 25 years and 15,000 landings.
From 2010 onwards, the IAF took up a programme to extend the TTL of the then-existing 105 aircraft from 25 to 40 years through overhauls and upgrades. While 40 aircraft were re-equipped and overhauled in Ukraine’s Kyiv between 2009 and 2013, 65 aircraft were upgraded in India between 2011 and 2015.
