IAF fighter jet crashes in Bathinda; civilian killed, probe underway

Chandigarh: A fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in the fields of Akliya Khurd village in Punjab’s Bathinda district around 2 am on Wednesday, killing one civilian and injuring several others. The crash occurred nearly 500 metres from a residential area, triggering panic among locals.

The deceased has been identified as Govind, son of Om Prakash, a farm labourer from Charkhi Dadri in Haryana. Eyewitnesses said several labourers were at a nearby grain market late Tuesday night when they noticed the aircraft descending abnormally before crashing into the fields.

A massive explosion followed, with flames reportedly shooting up 35 feet into the sky and continuing to erupt for nearly half an hour.

Locals said the impact of the explosion also affected people standing nearby. Some villagers who had approached the site to record videos were caught in the blast radius. Police and Army officials, along with ambulances, reached the site around 2 am and cordoned off the area.

Due to the severity of the crash and the presence of unexploded material, authorities are not allowing civilians near the site. The wreckage of the jet was also found in fields near Bishanandi village.

There were conflicting reports regarding the pilots. While some villagers claimed the pilot’s status was unconfirmed, Kala Singh, the sarpanch of Akliya Khurd, said both pilots survived and were admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Speculation about a possible link to a Pakistani military attack circulated among locals, but officials have not confirmed any such connection. Police Inspector Amrinder Singh said that a civilian casualty had been reported, and that the injured were receiving treatment.

A high-level investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.