Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots lost their lives on Wednesday when a Jaguar trainer aircraft crashed during a routine training mission near Churu district in Rajasthan.
The IAF confirmed the accident in a statement on X, noting that the aircraft went down in an agricultural area and that both pilots onboard were fatally injured. The statement also confirmed there was no damage to civilian property.
The aircraft, a Jaguar fighter jet originally designed through a British-French collaboration, took off from the Suratgarh airbase before crashing around midday.
Rajaldesar Station House Officer (SHO) Kamlesh told local media that human remains were discovered near the crash site.
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Emergency teams rushed to the scene, and rescue operations are currently underway. A court of inquiry has been formed to determine the cause of the crash, the IAF said, expressing deep sorrow over the loss and extending condolences to the bereaved families.
This incident adds to a series of aviation-related mishaps involving the IAF in recent months. In April, an aircraft accidentally released a non-explosive object over Madhya Pradesh, damaging a house.
And in March last year, a Tejas light combat jet, developed in India, crashed in Rajasthan—the first such crash since its induction in 2016.