Su-30, Mirage 2000 crash in Morena, India
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A crash between two military fighter jets is reported in India, with no casualties reported thus far.
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Indian Airforce Su-30 MaKi ac aircraft fly in trident formation over the ceremonial Kartavya Path boulevard during India's Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, India, January 26, 2023 (AP)
Two Indian Air Force fighter jets, a Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 and a French-made Dassault Mirage 2000, crashed on Saturday in Madhya Pradesh during military drills in central India.
Defense sources told local news outlets that the Russian-made aircraft had two pilots on board, while its French counterpart had one. Only two have been reported to be safe after they managed to eject.
The competent authorities are currently looking for the third pilot and conducting search and rescue operations.
"IAF court of inquiry has been launched to establish whether there was a mid-air collision or not. The Su-30 had two pilots while Mirage 2000 had one pilot during the crash. Initial reports suggest two pilots are safe while an IAF chopper reaching the location of the third pilot soon," sources said, as reported by Indian news outlet NDTV.
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Meanwhile, news agency PTI reported that Defense Minister Rajnath Sigh had been briefed about the crash.
"The news of the crash of Sukhoi-30 and Mirage-2000 aircraft of the Air Force near Kolaras in Morena is very sad. I have instructed the local administration to cooperate with the Air Force in quick rescue and relief work. I pray to God that the pilots of the planes are safe," Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
मुरैना के कैलारस के पास वायुसेना के सुखोई-30 और मिराज-2000 विमानों के दुर्घटनाग्रस्त होने की खबर अत्यंत दुखद है। मैंने स्थानीय प्रशासन को त्वरित बचाव एवं राहत कार्य में वायुसेना के सहयोग के निर्देश दिए हैं। विमानों के पायलट के सुरक्षित होने की ईश्वर से कामना करता हूं।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) January 28, 2023
Another similar crash has been reported in Rajasthan's Bharatpur, though authorities are yet to explain whether the two incidents are related.
"Received information about a plane crash around 10-10.15 am. After coming here, it was found it was an IAF fighter jet. Going by the debris, we're unable to adjudge if it's a fighter plane or a regular plane. Yet to know if pilots got out or are still in," news agency ANI quoted a police officer as saying.
Update: it was reported that the third pilot was found dead, with investigations underway to determine the cause of the crash.
