Rajasthan: 3 civilians dead as MiG-21 jet crashes on house
What's the story
Three civilians were killed after a MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed on their house in the Dabli area of Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district on Monday. The pilot of the supersonic fighter jet reportedly ejected before the crash and is safe. The jet had taken off from the IAF's station in Suratgarh, Rajasthan for a routine exercise, per ANI.
Twitter Post
Injured man succumbs
#WATCH | Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashed near Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. The aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh. The pilot is safe. More details awaited: IAF Sources pic.twitter.com/0WOwoU5ASi
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2023
Details
Pilot experienced emergency, recovery procedure failed
Initial reports said that two women died while one man received injuries. However, he succumbed to his injuries. An Army helicopter reportedly arrived at the site to provide assistance. The IAF said in a statement, " 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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Court of inquiry ordered: IAF
Offering condolences to the families of the deceased, the IAF stated that a court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident. According to ANI, the pilot reportedly suffered minor injuries and was found about 25 km northeast of Suratgarh's base.
Previous crashes
A pilot died in January when 2 IAF jets crashed
In January, an IAF pilot died when two fighter jets, a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000, crashed during a training exercise. While one of those aircraft crash-landed in Rajasthan's Bharatpur, the other one crashed about 100 km away in Madhya Pradesh's Morena. Last week, an Army helicopter crashed in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, injuring two pilots and leaving a technician dead.