A tragic accident at the Dubai Air Show on Friday claimed the life of Wing Commander Naman Siyal, a decorated Indian Air Force pilot from the Nagrota Bagwan area of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. The 34-year-old pilot was flying the Tejas MK-1 fighter jet during a demonstration at around 2:10 p.m. (local time) when the aircraft reportedly lost control and crashed.
Wing Commander Siyal, son of Jagannath of Patialkad Panchayat, had been serving in the Indian Air Force for 15 years and was currently posted in Coimbatore. He had been participating in the Dubai Air Show for the past six days. His wife, Afsan, is also an Air Force officer serving as a ground officer. The couple has a five-year-old daughter.
The incident has sent shockwaves through Himachal Pradesh, especially in Siyal’s native village, where an atmosphere of grief prevails. His parents, who were in Hyderabad at the time of the accident, received the news with deep sorrow. Siyal’s father, Jagannath, had earlier served in the Indian Army and later retired as a school principal under the Himachal Pradesh Education Department.
Wing Commander Siyal was an alumnus of Sainik School Sujanpur Tira, Hamirpur. The school administration and the Old Students’ Association have expressed profound grief over the loss of their distinguished alumnus.
Official sources said that after completing formalities in Dubai, his mortal remains are expected to arrive in Himachal on Sunday or Monday, where the last rites will be conducted with full military honours.
The Indian Air Force has ordered a Court of Inquiry to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident. “The death of Wing Commander Naman Syal, a brave son of Kangra, in the Tejas aircraft crash is extremely heartbreaking. The nation has lost a courageous and dedicated pilot. I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved family,” he said.
Nagrota Bagwan MLA RS Bali, BJP MP of Kangra Rajeev Bhardwaj and BJP ML A from Dharamsala Sudheer Shar ma also expressed their deep sorrow on this fatal crash
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