IAF's MiG-21 crashes in Rajasthan's Barmer district, both pilots dead; Rajnath Singh dials Air Force Chief, a court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident
Barmer, Rajasthan: A MiG-21 Trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) reportedly crashed in the Bhimra (Bhimda) village of Barmer district in Rajasthan at about 9 pm on Thursday. The Indian Air Force confirmed that both the pilots of the ill-fated fighter jet lost their lives in the crash. One of the local reports suggested that the fighter jet was on a night training sortie.
"Both the MiG-21 Trainer aircraft pilots lost their lives in the crash. 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," the IAF said in a statement.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on the crash of MiG-21 fighter aircraft in Barmer. The IAF chief briefed him on the incident in detail. Singh expressed condolences for the two Air Warriors who lost their lives in the accident.
'Deeply anguished'
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was "deeply anguished by the loss of two Air Warriors".
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Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also egriefssed grief over the loss of lives. "Deeply saddened to know two IAF pilots have lost their lives in the line of duty when an IAF MiG 21 trainer aircraft met with an accident in Barmer. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved families. May they remain strong to bear this loss. We stand with them and share their grief," Gehlot said.
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Bodies of both pilots were severely damaged, say, eyewitnesses
Visuals from the site showed flames emerging out of a crashed aircraft. The wreckage of the aircraft was spread over a radius of 0.5 km. According to eyewitnesses, the bodies of one of the pilots were completely charred, while that of the other one was severely damaged. Some of the villagers even shared disturbing visuals of the ill-fated fighter jet on social media.
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At about 9 pm, the villagers heard a loud explosion, following which they informed the local administration of the mishap. The administration dispatched officials to probe the matter and provide assistance.
The Soviet-era MiG-21s were first inducted into the IAF in the 1960s. India is the world's largest operator of aircraft. However, the MiG-21s have been plagued by safety issues.
With inputs from agencies
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