One feared killed as two fighter jets crash in MP: two pilots survive

Bhopal/New Delhi: At least one pilot has been feared dead and two others were injured after two fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) – Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and Mirage-2000 – crashed in the jungles of Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district on Saturday.
The IAF said the jets were on a routine operational flying training mission at the time of the accident.
Officials said the two pilots of the Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft ejected safely while the pilot of the Mirage-2000 has been feared dead. An IAF helicopter was flown to the crash site to rush the injured pilots for medical treatment. According to the Morena district administration, a search operation is underway to locate the remains of the fatally injured pilot. The Mirage-2000 aircraft had plunged into the rocky jungles of Pahargarh (80 kilometres from Morena). The debris of the Sukhoi aircraft was scattered along the jungles in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan, the Morena district collector told TNIE.
Both the fighter jets had taken off from the Gwalior Airbase and were possibly on their way back when the tragic accident happened. Meanwhile, the IAF has ordered an inquiry to determine the cause of the accident. Defence Ministry sources said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been briefed by the Chief of Air Staff on the crash of the two IAF aircraft. The defence minister has enquired about the well-being of the IAF pilots and is monitoring the developments closely.