Moga, June 26
A MiG-23 fighter plane of the Indian Air Force crashed in a paddy field on the outskirts of Kishanpura Kalan village in this district early this morning. No casualties have been reported.

According to the local police, the pilot, Flt-Lieut Bharat Kumar, bailed out and escaped with minor injuries in the crash, which occurred around 7.45 am.

Mr H.L. Kumar, ADC, Moga, reached the spot immediately along with a team of doctors and fire brigades. After first aid, the pilot was rushed to the IAF station at Halwara.

The ADC has asked the Tehsildar of Moga to make a detailed report of the loss of the paddy fields so that the compensation is given to the farmers.

The district police chief, Mr Varinder Kumar, IPS, said the MiG-23 plane was on a routine sortie and had taken off from the Halwara station after 7.30 am and crashed within 12-15 minutes.

No casualties on the ground were reported, the police chief said, adding that the injured pilot had been taken to Halwara for treatment. The pilot came down in the village fields of Dala Kalan  from the plane just two minutes before it crashed into the fields of the next village.

A large number of farmers who were ploughing their fields at the time of the crash, had a miraculous escape as the debris of the plane fell in an area of 5 acres. They informed the police about the crash.

Ram Singh, who was ploughing his fields at the time of the crash, had a miraculous escape as the debris of the plane fell near his field. The farmer informed the village panchayat and the police about the crash.

The farmer reported that sounds of four to five blasts in the plane were heard by him before it crashed into the fields.