MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashes in Rajasthan, killing three civilians on ground
Jaipur, May 08: On Monday, a MiG-21 fighter aircraft belonging to the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. The incident resulted in the deaths of at least three civilians on the ground, according to local police.
District Collector Rukmani Riar confirmed that the pilot of the aircraft was safe. The plane crashed in the Dabli area of Hanumangarh, and Additional Superintendent of Police Jassaram Bose reported that at least two civilians were killed. The pilot of the aircraft attempted to recover the aircraft after experiencing an onboard emergency, but failed to do so and had to initiate an ejection.
The pilot sustained minor injuries, and the wreckage of the aircraft fell on a house in Bahlol Nagar, leading to the loss of three lives. The IAF has ordered a court of inquiry to determine the cause of the accident. The MiG-21 fleet is on its last leg, and all the remaining three aircraft from the fleet are planned to be phased out by 2025.
In January, one pilot died after two IAF fighter jets, a Sukhoi-30 and a Mirage 2000, crashed during a training exercise, with one aircraft crashing in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, and the other in Rajasthan's Bharatpur.
#WATCH | Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashed near Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. The aircraft had taken off from Suratgarh. The pilot is safe. More details awaited: IAF Sources pic.twitter.com/0WOwoU5ASi — ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2023
MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft developed in the Soviet Union. It has been in service with the IAF for several decades, and despite the fact that it has been involved in several crashes in recent years, the Indian government has been reluctant to replace it due to budgetary constraints.
The incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of military aviation and the impact it can have on civilians on the ground. The Indian government has a responsibility to ensure the safety of its citizens and investigate the cause of the crash to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
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- With inputs from agencies
