A MiG-29K fighter aircraft of the Indian Navy crashed on Saturday after its engine caught fire after taking off from Dabolim in Goa. Both pilots – Captain Mrigank Sheokhand and Lieutenant Commander Deepak Yadav – ejected safely, said a Navy spokesperson.

According to ANI, the aircraft was a trainer version of the fighter jet. The pilots were initially looked after by residents of the area where they landed, Hindustan Times reported.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he had spoken to the two pilots. “Spoke to the pilots, Captain Mrigank and Deepak Yadav of the MiG-29K which crashed after the take-off from Goa today,” he tweeted. “It is a matter of great satisfaction that they managed to eject in time and both of them are safe. I pray for their good health and well-being.”

An Indian Air Force MiG-27 aircraft had crashed in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer in February while on a training mission near the Pokhran range. The pilot managed to eject from the aircraft. The same month, two pilots died after a Mirage 2000 trainer fighter aircraft crashed near the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airport in Bengaluru.

Now, follow and debate the day’s most significant stories on Scroll Exchange.