At least five Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel were killed after an AN-32 transport aircraft of the IAF crashed at the Jorhat Air Force station in Assam on Saturday, the IAF said, adding that a court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.

The military aircraft went down at the airbase in the Rowriah area of Jorhat while attempting to land, a defence spokesperson said.

In a statement on X, the Indian Air Force said: “A court of inquiry is being constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.”

According to Indian media reports, the co-pilot has survived the crash and is being provided treatment.

Giving details of the incident, the IAF, in a post on X, said the AN-32 aircraft “met with an accident during a routine sortie” at approximately 10 am at Jorhat.

“Crash site management and initial enquiries are on at this time. IAF requests everyone to refrain from speculation till preliminary results are not in. IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief. IAF will share more details as they are in,” it said.

An IAF official said emergency teams are working at the crash location.

Visuals from the scene showed the aircraft’s wreckage broken into two parts, with smoke rising from the front section as personnel gathered around the debris.

Senior IAF officials have rushed to the area, the defence spokesperson said, adding that casualties, if any, are yet to be confirmed.