A Sukhoi 30 and a Mirage 2000 fighter jets of Indian Air Force crashed near Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior on Saturday. The 2 pilots in Sukhoi-30 sustained minor injuries whereas the pilot in Mirage 2000 passed away due to fatal wounds caused during the crash.
The accident took place during a training exercise and the wreckage of the jets fell in Morena in Madhya Pradesh and around Bharatpur.
The IAF has ordered an inquiry in order to determine the cause of the accident. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been briefed by IAF Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari about the crash and Rajnath Singh has been closely monitoring the developments as well as well-being of the pilots.
Pahargarh Sarpanch Shailendra Shakya stated to the media “I was standing with some people here when we heard a massive noise from above, like a powerful bomb blast. We looked up to see balls of fire descending some of which landed in a forested path here and some in Bharatpur on the other side”. The people nearby tried to extinguish the flames by throwing mud and also tried to save the wounded but soon IAF helicopter arrived and flew the wounded to Gwalior.
The IAF stated that a Court of Inquiry has been established that will determine whether there was a mid-air collision or not between the 2 fighter jets.