Fighter jet crashes in India, 2 dead

Kathmandu: An Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashed near Hanumangarh in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan on Monday, killing two people and injuring one, local media ANI reported.

The aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh. While the pilot walked out of the incident safely, the death of two civilians has been confirmed by the police. According to sources, the pilot is safe and the army’s helicopter has reached the accident site for rescue. The aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh according to IAF Sources.

Earlier in January, one pilot lost his life after two Indian Air Force fighter jets – a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000 – crashed during a training exercise in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur. While one aircraft crashed in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, the other crashed and landed in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur.

An Indian Army chopper crashed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district last week. Another accident happened in Kochi in April when a Coast Guard helicopter during trials made a crash landing.

In October last year, two incidents of army chopper crash were reported in Arunachal Pradesh. In October 5, 2022, a Cheetah helicopter crashed near the Tawang area of Arunachal Pradesh leading to the death of one Indian Army pilot.

Five defence personnel were killed, who were on board in the Indian Army Aviation Advance Light Helicopter (Weapon Systems Integrated) – ALH WSI based at Likabali (Assam), which crashed near Siang village, 25 kilometres away from the Tuting headquarters in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal on October 21.

Defence Ministry informed that two pilots in a twin-seater Mig-21 trainer aircraft died after sustaining fatal injuries when it crashed near Barmer district of Rajasthan on July 28 last year,