Two Indian students from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were killed in an air accident in Canada while undergoing flight training, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver said on Sunday.
The consulate identified the deceased as Manoj Sivakumar and Srisaran Thirugnanasambantham. It expressed condolences to their families and said it was ready to extend all possible consular assistance, including helping with the repatriation of their mortal remains to India.
“Our heartfelt sympathies are with their bereaved families and loved ones during this difficult time,” the consulate said in a post on X.
Details about the circumstances of the accident involving the two Indian students were not immediately available.
What happened to the aircraft?
Canadian news outlet CBC reported that a Cessna 172 operated by Harv's Air crashed near Kisbey, Saskatchewan, early Friday morning. Both people aboard the aircraft died.
However, the report could not be independently verified as the same incident involving the two Indian nationals.
According to CBC, the aircraft had been rented by two licensed pilots who were on a night cross-country flight from Regina to Steinbach, Manitoba, via Carlyle, Saskatchewan. They were reportedly accumulating flight hours required for their commercial pilot licences.
The aircraft was reported to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada after it failed to reach its expected destination by 10.30 am Central Daylight Time.
Search teams located crash site
A search and rescue operation was launched after the aircraft was reported overdue. Teams located the wreckage at around 6 pm CDT, according to a statement from the flight school.
Both occupants were found dead at the crash site.
Lieutenant Zoe Hollander, a public affairs officer with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Trenton, said the agency coordinated the response.
“A CC 138 Hercules from 435 squadron successfully located the crash site, and then inserted search and rescue technicians by parachute,” Hollander said.
The JRCC later transferred the case to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) after the search operation was completed.
Previous incidents involving flight school
The crash is reportedly the third incident involving Harv's Air, a flight school based in St. Andrews, Manitoba, since January 2025.
In January last year, one of its instructors was seriously injured after being struck by an aircraft propeller while a student attempted to start the engine.
In July 2025, two student pilots were killed when their single-engine aircraft collided mid-air during a training exercise, CBC reported.