Senior pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Commodore Sanjay Chauhan was killed in a plane crash near Mundra town of bordering Kutch district of Gujarat during a routine training session on Tuesday morning.
Chauhan left early in a Jaguar Fighter Jet from Jamnagar airbase and flew through Bay of Kutch before the fighter plane crashed at open grassland of Beraja village near Mundra town at around 10.30 in the morning. Impact of the crashed plane on the ground was so intense that its debris were strewn all over the place, said an eyewitness.
“A Jaguar aircraft on a routine training mission from Jamnagar crashed. The pilot sustained fatal injuries during the crash. Court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate cause of the incident,” said lt Col Manish Ojha, defence spokesperson, Gujarat confirming about the tragedy.
Meanwhile local sources in Mundra area informed that at least a dozen cows killed and eight sustained serious injurious as the plane crash at place where cows were grazing. According to volunteers of some NGOs working for animals the death toll of cows might go high as some carcasses charred and it was difficult to count the exact figure.
Entire area has been cordoned by IAF personnel. Three helicopters rushed to the site along with IAF staff within few minutes of the incident. Shepherds who were present at the site along with their cows witness the incident. Thousands of people from nearby areas assembled as the news of aircraft crash spread in the area like wildfire.
Volunteers of Mahavir Pashu Raksha did commendable work to give primary treatment to injured cows and they also made arrangement to take some of the seriously injured cows to nearby animal hospitals.
It is worth mentioning that important Mundra Port is few kilometres away from the site of the plane crash. Kandla Port, one of the biggest Indian ports is around 70 km.