At least five Indian Air Force personnel have reportedly been killed after a military transport aircraft crashed at an air force base in northeastern India.

The Antonov An-32 was attempting to land at an airbase in Jorhat, a city in Assam state, when the accident occurred, according to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The aircraft’s co-pilot survived the crash and is undergoing emergency treatment, officials told news agency ANI.

In a statement posted on X, the IAF said the aircraft had ‘met with an accident during a routine sortie’ on Saturday morning.

They added: ‘The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam. Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.’

Images and video from the scene showed the aircraft torn apart after crashing onto the base, with extensive damage visible across the wreckage.

A major emergency response was launched immediately, with firefighters, rescue teams and senior IAF officials rushing to the site.

Indian broadcaster NDTV aired footage showing a thick plume of black smoke rising above the crash site and debris scattered across the area.

Soldiers were seen combing through the wreckage in a search for any possible survivors. 

Witnesses told Telegraph India they heard a loud explosion moments before the area was engulfed in smoke.

The entire air force station has since been sealed off, with access restricted as rescue and recovery operations continue.

The Indian Air Force has ordered a court of inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.

The An-32, a twin-engine turboprop, is designed to perform well at high altitudes and in extreme climates.

Capable of carrying up to 7.5 tonnes of cargo, around 50 passengers or 42 paratroopers, the Indian air force operates about 100 aircraft for military supplies and civilian aid in remote mountain areas.

The latest accident comes just months after an Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed and both pilots were killed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.