India’s MiG fighter jet crashes

Desk Report: A MiG-21 Bison fighter jet belonging to the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Bikaner's Shobhasar Ki Dhani area on Friday, a defence spokesperson confirmed.

However, the pilot managed to eject successfully, he added.

According to sources, the MiG-21 took off from Nal on a routine mission this afternoon when its engine developed technical issues. Initial inputs suggest that the aircraft malfunctioned due to a bird hit, the defence spokesperson said.

Bikaner Superintendent of Police Pradeep Mohan Sharma said police teams have been sent to the site of the crash to cordon off the area. No loss of life was reported, he added.

The cause of the accident will be investigated by a Court of Inquiry.

The supersonic fighter sourced from the erstwhile Soviet Union last hit the news when one of them crashed during a dogfight between Indian and Pakistani air forces on February 27, a day after the IAF launched an air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in the neighbouring country's Balakot. Although the pilot -- Abhinandan Varthaman -- managed to eject, he was captured by Pakistani authorities after landing in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. Wing Commander Varthaman was returned to India two days later. _NDTV

risingbd/Dhaka/March 08, 2019/AKA