3 Villagers Dead As MiG-21 Jet Crashes Into Rajasthan Home, Pilot Ejects



The incident was reported from Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh.

Bikaner/New Delhi:

Three people were killed and three others injured after an Indian Air Force MIG-21 Fighter aircraft crashed into their home in a Rajasthan village today, officials have said.

The aircraft had taken off from the Suratgarh airbase for a routine exercise before it crashed near Pilibanga area in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh due to a technical snag.

The pilot ejected from the aircraft in time using a parachute, officials said, adding that he is reported to be safe.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) said a helicopter was rushed to rescue the pilot who sustained minor injuries during the ejection and that a probe has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash.

“A MiG-21 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Suratgarh during a routine training sortie today morning. The pilot ejected safely, sustaining minor injuries. An inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident,” it tweeted.

Police said a rescue operation has been launched in the area where the aircraft had crashed.

“The pilot made all efforts to avert human casualties and crash-landed the plane on the outskirts of the village,” said Om Prakash, Inspector General of Police, Bikaner.

In January, two IAF fighter jets – a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000 – had crashed during a training exercise, resulting in the death of one pilot. While one aircraft crashed in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, the other went down 100 km away in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur.



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