Patna, 14 June

The last memories are now frozen on mobile phone screens. One mother recalls her son smiling during a brief video call; another treasures a photo he sent from inside an aircraft before an IAF plane crash in Assam killed five personnel, including their sons.

Flight Lieutenant Shubham Kumar from Bihar's Jehanabad and Agniveervayu Danish Alam of Bhojpur were among those killed in the Antonov An-32 transport aircraft crash on Saturday.

The phones that carried cheerful video calls and photographs on Saturday morning soon delivered devastating news.

According to family members, the flight lieutenant had spoken to his mother in Banwariya village via video call around 9am on Saturday.

"Kumar looked cheerful and normal. He said that he was in a hurry and would speak at length later," a family member recalled.

His younger brother, Satyam, said the family first learnt about the accident around 11am, but found it difficult to believe.

The grim reality sank in only after repeated attempts to reach him on his mobile phone failed, and officials confirmed the news.

The son of a farmer and a homemaker, Kumar had fulfilled his dream of serving the nation when he was selected as a Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force in 2021.

Family members said marriage talks had recently begun, but he chose to put them on hold, insisting that his career and service responsibilities came first.

Back in his village, locals remember him as a humble young man who never forgot his roots and greeted everyone warmly whenever he came home on leave.

Villagers now await the arrival of his mortal remains to pay their last respects.

In Kayamnagar village of Bhojpur district, Danish Alam's family is clinging to another final memory — a photograph he sent from inside an aircraft on Saturday morning.

"He had spoken to us over a video call on Friday evening, and he seemed very happy.

"On Saturday morning, he sent us a photo of himself sitting inside an aircraft. We later went to the Ara market, and while we were there, news of the crash reached us. We rushed back home," said his mother, Akhtari Begum.

Alam was her only son. Begum has two daughters.

"It was his dream to serve in the Indian Air Force. He planned his studies on his own and worked hard to achieve that goal," Begum said.

Friends and neighbours described him as a determined young man who carried the hopes of his family.

His friend Sujit Tiwari appealed for financial assistance for the bereaved family.

"Alam was the family's biggest support. His elder sister is yet to be married, his mother remains unwell, and the family has very limited means.

"His father works in a private job earning around Rs 10,000 a month. We hope the government extends assistance to them," Tiwari said.

As news of the crash spread across the two villages, grief gave way to an outpouring of pride for the young men who had chosen to serve in uniform.