The jet crashed during a routine training sortie near Bhaha Soniga village within the Kagarol police station limits of Agra district
A MiG-29 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in an open field after it developed a system malfunction, near Agra city on Monday afternoon, officials said. No damage to life or property on the ground was reported in the incident.
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According to defence officials, the jet crashed during a routine training sortie near Bhaha Soniga village within the Kagarol police station limits of Agra district.
“The pilot manoeuvered the aircraft to ensure that no damage to life or property on the ground took place, before ejecting safely,” an official release said.
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“An enquiry has been ordered by the IAF to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the statement added.
“The aircraft crashed around 4.20 pm on Monday. Fire tenders were pressed into service and the fire was doused. Villagers were asked to stay away from the spot and force was deployed to control the anxious crowd,” stated Rajeev Kumar, the in-charge of Kagarol police station.
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Jaswant Singh, a resident of Bhaha Soniga, said the aircraft was spotted from a village canal around 4 pm.
Eyewitnesses said the jet stayed in the air and flew “unusually” for some time before it crashed. They said the aircraft had turned into a fireball and crashed with a loud noise.
Bobby, who owns a land parcel near the accident site, claimed to be there when the jet collided with the ground. “The jet created an unusual noise when it fell. A major tragedy could have taken place if it had crashed in the populated nearby village,” he added.
Also, a video on social media purportedly shows the MiG-29 pilot landing with the help of a parachute after ejecting from the aircraft.
