1 Pilot dead, 2 injured after 2 IAF Fighter Jets crash near Gwalior.

On Saturday morning, two Indian Air Force fighter jets - a Sukhoi Su-30 and a Mirage 2000 - crashed during a training exercise, resulting in the death of one pilot.

• While one aircraft crashed in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, the other is believed to have gone down 100 km away in Rajasthan's Bharatpur.

The Sukhoi had two pilots, while the Mirage had one pilot, defence sources said. Both aircraft are used on the frontlines by the Indian Air Force. The two pilots on the Sukhoi managed to eject and were taken to the hospital in a helicopter.

According to defence sources, the Sukhoi had two pilots, while the Mirage had one. The Indian Air Force uses both aircraft on the front lines. The two Sukhoi pilots were able to eject and were flown to the hospital in a helicopter.

The IAF deeply regrets to inform that Wg Cdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi suffered fatal injuries during the accident. All air warriors and the fraternity stand strongly with the bereaved family.

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) January 28, 2023

Both the fighter jets had taken off from the Gwalior Air Force base which has squadrons of both the Russian-designed Sukhoi and the French Mirage 2000.

Videos from the scene, shot by locals in Morena, showed smouldering debris of the aircraft strewn on the ground.

The Air Force has launched a probe to examine if a mid-air collision led to the crash, defence sources said.

"IAF court of inquiry has been launched to establish whether there was a mid-air collision or not. The Su-30 had two pilots while Mirage 2000 had one pilot during the crash. Initial reports suggest two pilots are safe while an IAF chopper reaching the location of the third pilot soon," sources said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been briefed by the Indian Air Force chief on the crash of two aircraft, news agency PTI reported.