In a tragic incident, two pilots were killed after an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft crashed in Rajasthan’s Barmer on Thursday night.

“At 9:10 pm this evening, an IAF MiG 21 trainer aircraft met with an accident in the western sector during a training sortie. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries,” the IAF said in a tweet.

“IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” it added.

According to reports, the twin-seater MiG 21 trainer aircraft was airborne for a training sortie from Barmer’s Utarlai air base on Thursday evening.

Police said that the impact of the crash was such that they could not make out how many people were in the plane.

Barmer Deputy SP Jaggu Ram, who had reached the spot, said locals informed the police about the crash around 9 pm. “Locals reported a fireball crashing into the ground, killing the pilots. The impact was such that from the remains, we can’t tell whether there were two pilots or one. The debris is spread over a kilometre,” Ram said.

The aircraft crashed in Isramon ka Tala village under Baytu police station limits. The village is about 37 kilometres north of district headquarters.