Rehearsal exercises for an airshow turned into chaos and horror when two Alpha Jets belonging to the French Air Force's aerobatic display team collided mid-air in the eastern part of the nation on Tuesday (Mar 25) at around 15:35 local time. 

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A shocking video of the incident has been circulating on social media forums which showed footage of two jets from the Patrouille de France (PAF) colliding during rehearsal exercises at Saint-Dizier 113 airbase. 

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The Patrouille de France is the precision aerobatic demonstration team of the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace). The team was formed in 1953 and is based at the Salon-de-Provence Air Base in southern France.

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As per media reports, the incident took place during a formation flight, with the aerobatic team preparing for an upcoming public demonstration. 

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France’s Armed Forces Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, confirmed via social media that the incident had taken place. On X, he said, "An accident involving two Alpha Jets from the Patrouille de France during rehearsals has just occurred in eastern France. Emergency services are mobilised." 

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In the video, six jets are seen executing an aerial manoeuvre, trailing blue, white and red smoke - the colours of the French flag. The video then showed two of the aircraft making contact mid-air, leading to a violent crash and disintegration of both planes. 

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Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.

Watch the video here: 

What happened to the pilots? 

In a statement, the French Air and Space Force revealed that all three crew members, two pilots and a third in a rear seat, successfully ejected from the aircraft. They have been located and are unharmed, having received appropriate medical attention. 

The officials also informed that the area around the crash site is being secured. Authorities have reported no civilian casualties at this stage. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident. 

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(With inputs from agencies)