2 Indian fighter jets crash, pilot killed
NEW DELHI — Two Indian Air Force jets crashed in the central state of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, killing a pilot, officials said.
The Indian Air Force said on Twitter that the aircraft was on a routine operational training mission. One of the three pilots involved suffered fatal injuries and an investigation has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.
It added that the accident happened near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh state. The Air Force did not name the aircraft involved in the crash, but local media reported that it was the Sukhoi-30 and Mirage-2000 fighter jets.
Footage from the crash site showed plumes of black smoke and flames rising from the wreckage of the plane.
Two pilots managed to get out of the plane safely, but it is not clear whether the planes collided, Adarsh Katiyar, deputy director-general of the police, told the Press Trust of India news agency.
The chief minister of Madhya Pradesh tweeted that the local administration will assist the air force with rescue and relief efforts.