Two pilots were killed as an IAF Jaguar fighter crashed near Bhanuda village in Rajaldesar region of Ratangarh sub-division of Churu district in Rajasthan on Wednesday.
The aircraft flew from Suratgarh air base around 1230hrs or so, on its routine practice sortie. It caught fire mid-air and fell with a big bang in an unmanned farm land on the outskirts of Bhanuda.
The onlookers 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 has 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 onlooker villagers, “They saw the low-flying Jaguar afire mid air approaching the village. Suddenly the pilot gave steep turn to its direction to divert it away from the village onto the unmanned farm lands.
We salute the humanitarian and patriotic spirits of the pilots on the cost of their own lives – by averting loss of life and property in the populated areas”, a grateful Maharshi said.
Meanwhile, the IAF post on X handle 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.