The Indian Air Force has ordered an inquiry into a Jaguar fighter jet crash at a village near Jamnagar IAF station in Gujarat in which one of the pilots was killed and another suffered injuries.
In a statement on Thursday morning, the IAF said the pilots, who were on a night mission, experienced a "technical malfunction" in the aircraft before the crash on Wednesday night.
"An IAF Jaguar two seater aircraft airborne from Jamnagar airfield crashed during a night mission. The pilots faced a technical malfunction and initiated ejection, avoiding harm to the airfield and local population," the statement said.
"Unfortunately, one pilot succumbed to his injuries, while the other is receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Jamnagar. The IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," it added.
The fighter jet crashed at around 9.30 pm on Wednesday at an open field in Suvarda village, 12 km from Jamnagar city, and caught fire, police earlier said.
While the police found one pilot in an injured state at the spot, a search operation was launched to find the second one, who went missing after the crash, Jamnagar district Superintendent of Police Premsukh Delu said on Wednesday.
The injured pilot was then taken to the government-run GG Hospital in the city, he said.
District Collector Ketan Thakkar, who also rushed to the spot after the incident, said the blaze engulfed the open field after the crash and was later doused by firefighters.
With inputs from PTI