Senior leaders of Himachal Pradesh have expressed deep grief over the death of Wing Commander Namansh Syal, the pilot of an Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet, who died on Friday after the aircraft crashed in a ball of fire during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show.
Wing Commander Syal was a native of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a post on X in Hindi, paid tribute to the officer. He wrote, " Salute to the brave son, heartfelt salute to Syal ji's indomitable bravery, dedication and devotion towards serving the nation." Syal was in his mid-30s and lived in Ward 7 of Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra. He is survived by his elderly parents, his wife, and a six-year-old daughter.
Syal completed his schooling at Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira, in Hamirpur district.
His wife is also an officer in the Indian Air Force, and his father previously served in the force before retiring as a principal in the Education Department, sources said.
Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla also expressed grief in a condolence message and said he was deeply saddened by the death of Syal, who belonged to Kangra.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur wrote on X, “The death of Naman Sayal, a brave son of Nagrota Bagwan, Kangra district, in the Indian Air Force plane crash is deeply saddening and painful. My condolences to the bereaved family.”
“We have lost a brave, promising and courageous pilot. We are proud of his sacrifice. The entire nation is indebted to his service,” he added.
In a Facebook post, Hamirpur MP and former Union minister Anurag Thakur said the news of Naman Syal’s death in the Tejas crash at the Dubai Air Show was extremely heartbreaking.
“With Naman's passing, Mother India has lost a brave and dutiful son. My heartfelt condolences are with his bereaved family. May God grant Naman's brave soul a place in his feet,” he wrote.
Visuals aired on several TV channels showed the jet losing altitude and then crashing, before bursting into flames.
Dense smoke was seen rising from the site, and the scene left spectators in shock.
The Tejas fighter jet crashed in the afternoon local time while performing a demonstration flight at the air show.
The Indian Air Force said in a brief statement on X that the Tejas aircraft met with an accident during the aerial display and the pilot received fatal injuries.
“IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief. A court of inquiry is being constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF said in a brief statement.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan also condoled the death and said that the armed forces stand with the family in this time of grief.
The Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) posted, “General Anil Chauhan, CDS and all ranks of Indian Armed Forces deeply regret the incident in which an IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at Dubai Air Show, today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident. We deeply regret the loss of life and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.”
Also Read: Tejas crash: Ancestral village grieves IAF officer Syal’s death
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