The Indian Air Force (IAF) Squadron Leaders Samir Abrol and Siddhartha Negi passed away after succumbing to fatal injuries from aircraft crash on Friday at a military airport. It has been said that aircraft was on an acceptance sortie following its massive upgrade by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
An IAF personnel told Deccan Herald that two young pilots sacrificed their own lives by saved many lives. According to the inputs from agencies, the mortal remains of IAF test pilot Squadron Leader Siddhartha Negi were cremated with ‘military honours’ in Bengaluru on Saturday, a day after he passed away in the Mirage-2000 fighter crash on Friday.
“Squadron Leader Negi’s body was cremated this morning (Saturday) with full military honours by the air force in the presence of his family, including his widow,” an Indian Air Force (IAF) spokesman told IANS.
The details of Negi’s last rites were not disclosed to the media either by the Defence Ministry or the IAF. Negi’s senior colleague Squadron identified as Leader Samir Abrol from Ghaziabad in UP was the other test pilot who passed away in the jet crash on a test sortie at the military airport in the city’s eastern suburb.
“Abrol’s body was flown to Ghaziabad earlier in the day for the last rites in his home town with full military honours,” the official added.
Negi hails from Dehradun in Uttarakhand and was recruited into the IAF a decade ago.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will initiate a joint investigation into the crash of an upgraded Mirage-2000 fighter jet, a Defence Ministry official said on Saturday.
“The black box has been recovered from the crashed jet by the HAL and IAF, who will be conducting a joint inquiry into the incident,” the official told here.
(With Inputs from Agencies)
