Bhubaneswar: Following the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Jaguar fighter jet crash in Rajasthan’s Churu, multiple X accounts on Wednesday posted a picture of a severely damaged fighter jet to express shock and grief over the incident in which both pilots were killed.
A reverse image search on the photo by the Quint, however, revealed that it was of an advanced jet trainer aircraft of the Air Force, which crashed in a paddy field at Kudarsahi in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, leaving two pilots injured, on June 3, 2015.
It also shared reports from different publications on the jet crash, which reportedly took place during a routine sortie after a mid-air technical glitch, 10 years ago. It had taken off from the Kalaikunda Air Base.
According to India Air Force, the July 9 tragic incident, involving a Jaguar Trainer aircraft, took place during a routine training mission. “…crashed near Churu in Rajasthan, today. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported. IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief. A court of inquiry has been constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident,” it added.