Jaguar fighter aircraft crashes near Allahabad

Lucknow: A Jaguar fighter plane of the Indian Air Force crashed on Tuesday in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh minutes after it took off for a routine sortie, officials said. Both the pilots ejected safely.

The plane took off from the Bamrauli air strip but within minutes of being airborne, the pilots sent signals to the ground staff that there was some major technical glitch.

When they could not control the aircraft any longer, the pilots ejected and the plane crashed close to the Food Corporation of India godown near Naini area.

The pilots are safe but the plane was destroyed.

A fire broke out in the fighter plane and fire tenders were rushed to the crash site. Senior officials rushed to the spot.

Officials told IANS that the area has been cordoned off and there were no casualties on ground.