An Indian Air Force fighter plane crashed in Barmer on Thursday night, killing two pilots.

“At 9:10 pm this evening, an IAF MiG 21 trainer aircraft met with an accident in the western sector during a training sortie. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries. IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF announced in a tweet.

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On Thursday evening, the twin-seater MiG 21 trainer aircraft took off from Barmer’s Utarlai air base for a training sortie.

Earlier, Rajasthan police stated that the impact of the disaster was so severe that they couldn’t tell how many passengers were on board.

Locals told the police about the incident at 9 pm, according to Barmer Deputy SP Jaggu Ram, who arrived on the scene. “Locals reported a fireball crashing into the ground, killing the pilots. The impact was such that from the remains, we can’t tell whether there were two pilots or one. The debris is spread over a kilometre,” Ram stated.

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The plane went down in the village of Isramon ka Tala, which is within the jurisdiction of the Baytu police station. The settlement is located approximately 37 kilometres north of the district headquarters.

“Locals have gathered. We are trying to control the crowd. The SHO of Baytu police station and others have reached the spot,” the Deputy SP stated.

According to the Deputy SP, no one was killed among the villagers. Locals posted many images of the flaming wreckage of the plane; in one of the films, a local is heard saying that the crash caused a 15-foot-deep hole.

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Kailash Choudhary, a Union minister, and Lok Sabha MP from Barmer stated, “The news of two pilots being burnt alive in a plane crash in Bhimda of Barmer parliamentary constituency is very sad. The nation has lost its two sons today. In this regard, the district administration has been directed to control the fire on the spot.”