Three villagers died when an Indian military MiG-21 plane crashed into their home in western India on Monday, authorities said.
The plane crashed into a house in western Rajasthan state, killing three villagers, police officer Sudhir Chaudhary told AFP.
A first evaluation revealed two dead and three injured.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed the accident and said it happened shortly after takeoff during routine training.
The pilot “encountered an emergency situation on board before attempting to regain control of the aircraft in accordance with established procedures,” the IAF said in a press release.
“Otherwise, the pilot was ejected from the plane unharmed with minor injuries,” he continued.
“The IAF regrets the loss of life and offers its deepest condolences to the bereaved. A commission of inquiry was set up to determine the causes of the accident.
Soviet-made MiG-21s saw service in India in the 1960s and formed the backbone of the Air Force for decades. However, the many accidents they experienced earned them the nickname “flying coffins”.
Last July, two Indian fighter pilots died when their MiG-21 crashed during a training excursion in the desert state of Rajasthan.
It was the sixth MiG-21 crash, bringing the number of pilots killed since January 2021 to five.
In early 2023, one pilot was killed and two others injured in the mid-air collision between two fighter jets (a Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 and a French-made Mirage 2000) during exercises south of the capital New Delhi.
Last week, an army helicopter with three people on board crashed in Kashmir.
Last October, five soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed in the state of Arunachal Pradesh near the militarized and disputed border with China.
It was the second military helicopter crash in the state that month, weeks after a Cheetah helicopter crashed near the town of Tawang, killing its pilot.
In December 2021, Indian military chief of staff General Bipin Rawat died along with 13 others when his Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter crashed in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
India is investing billions of dollars in upgrading its military equipment, prompted by its longstanding antagonism with Pakistan and rising tensions with China.
The country opened its largest helicopter manufacturing plant in February, months after it unveiled its first locally made aircraft carrier and tested a ballistic missile from its first national nuclear submarine.
The Air Force has also acquired dozens of French Rafale fighter jets, with deliveries beginning in 2020.