NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2023) Two Indian air force fighter jets � a Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 and a French-made Mirage 2000 � crashed on Saturday in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India, media report.
"The two aircraft had taken off from the Gwalior air base where an exercise was going on," a source in the Indian Defense Ministry told the ANI news agency.
According to media reports, the Su-30 aircraft was carrying two pilots at the time of the incident, while only one person was aboard the Mirage 2000 jet.
Later on Saturday, the Indian air force confirmed the incident, specifying that one of the pilots was killed as a result of the crash.
"Two fighter aircraft of IAF were involved in an accident near Gwalior today morning. The aircraft were on routine operational flying training mission. One of the three pilots involved, sustained fatal injuries," the statement read.
Two pilots were safely rescued after the crash, defense sources told the ANI news agency. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is in touch with Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan and Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari over the incident, the outlet reported.
An investigation has been ordered to establish the cause of the accident, the air force said.
Meanwhile, defense sources told the News 18 broadcaster that the authorities would establish whether the incident was a mid-air collision or not.
