India: IAF MiG-21 crashes in Rajasthan, killing at least three civilians; rescue operation underway
MiG-21 crash
A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Hanumangarh in the western state of Rajasthan, killing three people and injuring as many. The news agency ANI reported citing sources that the pilot is safe, with rescue operations underway. The jet crashed during a routine training sortie after suffering a technical snag.
Initial reports mentioned that the jet, which had taken off from Suratgarh, crashed on a house in Bahlolnagar and killed three villagers. According to local media reports, police said that all three killed in the crash were women.A video shared by the news agency showed locals gathering at the crash site.
The pilot, meanwhile, jumped out of the aircraft and landed safely in a drain area with the help of their parachute and sustained minor injuries. Reports mentioned that an IAF helicopter was sent to rescue the injured.
In a tweet, IAF wrote: "A MiG-21 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Suratgarh during a routine training sortie today morning. The pilot ejected safely, sustaining minor injuries."
The air force also mentioned that an inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.
IAF also noted that the "pilot experienced an onboard emergency, following which he attempted to recover the aircraft as per existing procedures. Having failed to do so, he initiated an ejection".
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Local police have informed about the accident in the Sadar police station area.
Om Prakash, Inspector General of Police, Bikaner, said: "The pilot made all efforts to avert human casualties and crash-landed the plane on the outskirts of the village."
MiG-21 jets have served as the backbone of the country's air force for decades after first entering Indian service in the 1960s, but s number of crashes in the past few decades has raised concerns over the planes and their safety.
Last month, an Indian Army chopper crashed in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, near Machhna village in the district's Marwah tehsil. Reports said that three people onboard the chopper sustained injuries.
In March, a Cheetah helicopter crashed near the Mandala hills area in Arunachal Pradesh, killing the pilot and co-pilot. The pilots were identified as Lieutenant Colonel VVB Reddy and Major Jayanth A.
In January, two fighter jets – Sukhoi-30 and Mirage 2000 – crashed near Morena in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, killing one pilot. The air force said that the jets had taken off from Gwalior and the aircraft were on a routine operational flying training mission.
(With inputs from agencies)
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