Guwahati: In a tragic incident, two pilots were killed after an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft crashed in Barmer of Rajasthan on Thursday night.
“At 9:10 pm this evening, an IAF MiG 21 trainer aircraft met with an accident in the western sector during a training sortie. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries,” the IAF said in a tweet.
“IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” it added.
At 9:10 pm this evening, an IAF MiG 21 trainer aircraft met with an accident in the western sector during a training sortie.
Both pilots sustained fatal injuries.— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) July 28, 2022
The twin-seater MiG 21 trainer plane reportedly took off for a training sortie on Thursday night from Barmer’s Utarlai air base.
According to police, the severity of the crash made it impossible for them to determine how many passengers were in the jet.
Locals told the police about the crash about 9 o’clock, according to Barmer Deputy SP Jaggu Ram, who had arrived on the scene. Locals said they saw a fireball hit the ground and kill the pilots. Because of the hit, it is impossible to determine from the remnants whether there were two pilots or only one. Ram stated that the debris was dispersed over a kilometre.
The aircraft crashed in the village of Isramon ka Tala in the jurisdiction of Baytu police station. The settlement is located roughly 37 kilometres north of the district office.