A pilot was killed on Saturday after two Indian Air Force fighter jets – a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000 – crashed near Morena district in Madhya Pradesh during a routine training mission.
Both the fighter planes had taken off from the Gwalior Air Force base, which is home to the Air Force’s Mirage fleet as well as the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment.
While initial media reports suggested that a mid-air collision led to the crash, the Air Force has not confirmed it and ordered an inquiry to determine the cause of the accident.
The Su-30 had two pilots who ejected safely and the Mirage 2000 had one pilot. Morena Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Bagri told ANI that the third pilot’s body parts have been found.
Videos showed debris of the aircraft strewn across the accident site. “Some parts of the jet were found in [Rajasthan’s] Bharatpur, details [are] being collected,” Bagri said.
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari has briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is monitoring the developments, PTI reported.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a tweet said that he has instructed the local administration to cooperate with the Air Force for rescue and relief operations.
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