Jaipur/New Delhi, July 9 (UNI) An IAF Jaguar trainer aircraft crashed today killing both pilots, near Bhanuda village in Ratangarh sub-division of Churu district in Rajasthan.
The aircraft flew from Suratgarh air base around 1230hrs or so, on a routine practice sortie. It caught fire mid-air and fell with a big bang in an unmanned farm land on the outskirts of Bhanuda in Rajaldesar region.
Locals who reached the spot soon after, found two burnt and mutilated bodies. They informed the police and Army authorities, who later reached the spot along with fire tenders.
Superintendent of Police Jai Yadav confirmed the recovery of two bodies, which were of two pilots, Lokendra and Rishi.
Former BJP MLA from Churu district Abhinesh Maharishi, who reached the crash site before the IAF officials, said quoting a couple of villagers, “They saw the low-flying Jaguar – afire mid air – approaching the village. Suddenly the pilot gave a steep turn to divert it away from the village into the unmanned farm lands.”
“We salute the humanitarian and patriotic spirit of the pilots, who at the cost of their own lives – averted loss of life and property in the populated areas,” a grateful Maharshi said.
Meanwhile, the IAF in a statement said: “An IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan, today. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident.
“No damage to any civil property has been reported. IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief.”
“A court of inquiry has been constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident,” IAF informed.
