NEW DELHI, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A trainer jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed Thursday morning in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, IAF said in a statement.
The pilot ejected safely from the aircraft minutes ahead of the crash.
The aircraft crashed in Bhind district, about 517 km north of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.
"An IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft experienced a technical malfunction during a training sortie in the central sector this morning. The pilot ejected safely," said the statement. "An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident."
The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Local media reports said the pilot suffered injuries.
Photographs showed debris scattered on an empty field and locals watching from a distance.
The smouldering tail section of the trainer jet was found half-buried in the field, a video grab from the spot showed.
Following the crash, police teams were rushed to the spot. Enditem
