MiG-27 Fighter Jet of Indian Air Force Crashed in Eastern India

A farmer died and at least 25 other people were injured on Saturday when a Soviet-era MiG-27 Indian war plane crashed into a village in eastern India, police said.The pilot, Saket Verma, ejected before the crash in Moinagudi village, some 600 kilometres (370 miles) north of the West Bengal state capital Kolkata, Indian Air Force spokesman Rajib Sahoo told.

"The MiG-27 was on a routine sortie when it crashed into the village killing one person and injuring 25 others on the ground," the official said.Police inspector-general Ranveer Kumar said the farmer was tilling his land when he was struck by the fighter jet which killed him instantly.

An IAF spokesperson said in New Delhi that the MiG-27 took off from the Hashimara Air Base on a routine sortie and crashed within minutes of take-off. The mishap took place around 10:30 am at a place around 25 km away from the Hashimara base.

This is the second involving an Indian MiG-27 since February 16 -- on an unspecified technical fault.India grounded its fleet of single-seater Mig-27s, bought from the then Soviet Union in the 1980s, after the last crash.

But the military brought them back into operation in June after the aircraft were deemed to be "airworthy."India hopes to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-era fighter jets with 123 new military aircraft as part of a 12-billion-dollar purchase project. AFP

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