Air Force authorities are blatantly blaming the civil administration for its failure to check coming up of new colonies in the immediate periphery of the strike bases of the defence forces.

“When this air base was planned , there was hardly any population in its vicinity. But now see the unplanned and haphazard growth all around the Air Force station here. Though we have been taking up this issue regularly with the civil authorities concerned, but nothing tangible has been done so far,” rued Air Force officials, maintaining that training sorties were a routine in which such occasional accidents or mishaps could not be rule out.

It was on May 9 that a Jaguar had crashed in a residential area. Besides casualties in the civilian side, the pilot too had lost his life in the crash. On September 9, a MiG-21 had crashed. Fortunately, the pilot had ejected out in time.

In yet another accident, a Jaguar had crashed into paddy fields of a nearby village.

The pilot of ill-fated Mig-21 bis, Flt Lt N. Garg, who had ejected in time and landed in a shisham tree before he was rescued, received injuries and was admitted to Military Hospital.

A former Congress councillor, Harish Sasan, who was among the first few to reach the site, helped in getting the pilot down on the ground and later made him get in touch with the Air Force authorities through his mobile.

The Air Force authorities were tight-lipped about the possible cause of the mishap. The wreckage of the aircraft was scattered not only in the Milk Colony but also in the adjoining areas across Baldev Nagar road.

When the crash took place, there was “pooja” going on the adjoining house of Mr Gobind Singh. The house belonged to Mr Paramjit Singh, a paralytic patient. He and his daughter, Mandeep Kaur, also sustained injuries but were declared out of danger.

Ms Rashi Bhatnagar , who was studying in her house, just opposite the house of Mr Gobind Singh, was “shell-shocked as fire broke out after a big bang. “We are scarred,” remarked Ms Ruchi, another resident of the colony.

Mr Ashok Gupta, who works as Quality Control Manager in the Milk Plant, had his hands burnt. The desert cooler and a scooter parked outside his house were badly damaged. He pointed out the delay in getting the first-aid. “I had to make do by rubbing ice and toothpaste on my hands to prevent itching till the CMO and his team of doctors arrived to give first-aid.” The authorities, on their, part maintain that they reached as soon as they got they information of their crash.

A tea vendor outside the colony also had a miraculous escape as pieces of the wrecked aircraft hit his roadside vend.

“We are fortunate that we escaped without any loss of life. Perhaps God was with us,” remarked Ms Nirmala, another resident of the colony.

The police and Air Force authorities had a tough time in controlling the mob that gathered in the area. The entry to the colony was restricted as Air Force officials were busy in inspecting the wreckage. They found the black box of the aircraft from the roof of a nearby factory.

Among the injured, Shankari Devi has 20 per cent burn injuries while Anil Kumar has 10 per cent burn injuries. Both are admitted to Civil Hospital at Ambala. Others who escaped with minor injuries are Mr Paramjit Singh, Mandeep Kaur, Ram Parkash, Chinnu, Dimpey, Rashmi and Ashok Gupta.

Immediately after the crash took place, there was panic among passengers of a Punjab Roadways bus passing in that area. A couple of passengers fainted and a few others alighted and ran for cover.

Mr Rajesh Kumar, an eyewitness, had seen the aircraft wobbling and in a ball of fire before it hit a eucalyptus tree.

The local MP, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria, who had raised the issue even after the last Jaguar crash, said that he would take up the issue in Lok Sabha during its current session. His wife, Mrs Banto Kataria, visited the spot to express her sympathy with the victims and residents of the colony.

Among those who visited the site were Mr Alok Joshi, IG; the Deputy Commissioner, Mr D.D. Gautam; SP H.S. Doon, Additional Deputy Commissioner Neelam Pradeep Kasni and the Subdivisional Magistrate N.S. Dhul.