MiG 27 crashes in West Bengal, civilian killed (Lead, superseding earlier story)

SILIGURI - A MiG 27 fighter aircraft crashed in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district Saturday morning, killing a civilian and injuring eight others, a police official said. The pilot ejected safely.

The accident occured at around 11 a.m. when the aircraft, which had started off from the Hashimara airbase at 10.30 a.m, came crashing down in Jorepukhri under Moinaguri police station.

One of the parts of the aircraft hit a house and killed a civilian. Eight people were injured after being hit by splinters of the plane, said Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) R. Kumar.

The pilot managed to eject from the aircraft with a parachute and is now hospitalised with injuries, he said.

The aircraft had lost contact with the air traffic control at Hashimara before it crashed.

Earlier, a defence spokesperson had said that two pilots had died in the crash.