MiG plane crashes, woman killed

HOSHIARPUR, SEPT. 26. A woman was killed and seven others injured when a MiG-21 fighter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed this evening into a `choe'(seasonal rivulet) after hitting a series of houses near Raghowal Saharna village in the district. Five houses were damaged in the mishap, police sources said.

Mr. Sarva Nand, the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft on a training sortie from Pathankot airfield, however, bailed out but suffered minor injuries in the mishap which occurred around 5 p.m. He was rescued by Captain Kuldip Singh of nearby Badla village.

The sortie took off from Pathankot at 4.50 p.m. and the accident occurred 10 minutes later in the area of Dasuya sub-division of the district, the sources said.

On being informed IAF officers immediately flew to the crash site in a helicopter and took the injured pilot to Pathankot for treatment, the sources added.

A woman, Kamaljit Kaur (45) was killed, apparently by the falling debris of the fighter, as she was standing with her son, Sonu, on the rooftop of her house when the accident occurred, the sources said.

- UNI

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