Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam - report

An Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter jet has crashed in an agriculture field in the state of Assam in northeast India, according to Sputnik news service. Both pilots managed to eject from the plane before the crash, although one pilot was injured, and has been admitted to a nearby hospital. A Court of Inquiry will ascertain the cause of the accident.

BREAKING: Indian Su-30MKI fighter jet crashes in country's northeast – report https://t.co/Q10NLLOXVg pic.twitter.com/0bjp9YW9N3

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) August 8, 2019

The media organization said the Indian Air Force has released a statement about the incident, saying the plane was engaged in a "routine training mission," with both pilots rescued and a "court of inquiry" to "ascertain [the] cause of the accident."

The accident took place in the vicinity of the city of Tezpur, about 75 km southwest of India's border with Bhutan, and 130 km south of the border with China. The plane was reportedly flying out of Tezpur Airport.

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under license by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, it is a heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter. The planes began to be introduced into the Indian Air Force in the early 2000s, with India building about 250 of the planes by 2018 and continuing to build more.