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New Delhi: A day after the death of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Naman Syal in a tragic incident when his Tejas fighter jet crashed during a display at the Dubai Air Show on Friday, his native district in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra has mourned his death and the mortal remains of the deceased pilot are expected to arrive in the district on Saturday.
Speaking to IANS from Kangra, Naman Syal’s uncle, Joginder Syal, said, “Yesterday, around 3 am, my brother called me from Coimbatore and told me that Naman had met with an accident. I live in Sidbari, and we have a tenant above us who works as an engineer there (IAF) and is currently on leave. My wife went upstairs and told him what had happened, and got the news from them through their sources. Asked to confirm because he has contacts there.”
He said, “They immediately contacted them, and they clearly said that there was an explosion as a result of an accident and the boy died. Then I called my brother and informed him that we had received confirmation, and only then did he believe that this tragic incident had indeed happened.”
Similarly, SDM Munish told IANS, “This is a huge loss for Nagrota Bagwan, Himachal Pradesh and the entire country. Such a tragic incident with a Wing Commander has deeply saddened and shocked the entire country, the entire state and all the people here. As per the initial information we have received, the mortal remains are expected to arrive around 2 pm, after which the last rites will be performed as per the standard state protocol…”
Earlier on Friday, IAF had said that IAF’s Tejas aircraft crashed during an air display at the Dubai Air Show.
The pilot suffered fatal injuries in the accident, the official said.
“The IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands strongly with the bereaved family in their hour of grief,” the defense statement said.
The Air Force has also called a court of inquiry to find out the cause of the accident.
The accident occurred during the biennial Dubai Air Show, one of the world’s largest aviation exhibitions.
–IANS