For the people of Patiyalkar, a sleepy village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, the news of the death of local hero Namansh Syal – the IAF Wing Commander killed after a Tejas fighter jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show on Saturday – is yet to sink in.
The death of Wing Commander Namansh Sayal has left his native village in deep mourning.
For most of them, Namansh, who was in his mid-30s, remains an outstanding athlete distinguished by his dedication to the country, “who even set an example in death by diverting the aircraft to save thousands present at the mega air show”.
The 34-year-old pilot is survived by his wife, also an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, their six-year-old daughter and his parents.
Father was scrolling YouTube to find pilot’s video
Since early Saturday, heart-wrenching scenes have been witnessed at the Syal household in the Nagrota Bagwan area, with villagers trying to console the wailing family members mourning a life lost too soon.
Jagan Nath Syal, the father of Wing Commander Naman Syal who died in the Tejas fighter jet crash at Dubai Air Show Friday, was scrolling YouTube for videos of the air show when he saw reports about the deadly crash.
“I last spoke to my son yesterday. He told me to see his performance during the air show on TV channels or YouTube. Around 4 pm today, I was searching videos of the ongoing air show in Dubai on YouTube when I saw reports about the plane crash. Immediately, I called my daughter-in-law, who is also a Wing Commander, to check what happened. Moments later, at least six Air Force officers arrived at our house and I realised something bad happened to my son,” said Syal, a retired school principal from Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh.
