An air force aircraft crashed in the Punjab province of Pakistan, a government official said here on Wednesday.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) training aircraft Mirage V ROSE crashed in the fields of Ratta Tibba in the suburbs of Vehari district, some 350 kms southwest of Lahore, on Tuesday.
The two pilots remained unhurt as they managed to eject themselves, the official said. However, local media said the duo was shifted to an army hospital nearby.
“The aircraft took off from Thingi airport near Vehari city on a routine training flight but soon after it crashed near an oil depot. However, there was neither any casualty nor any damage to any building,” the official said.
Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud explosion followed by a plume of smoke in the field. Rescue 1122, military and police personnel and rescuers reached the spot.
Dawn reported that both pilots suffered minor injuries and they were shifted to hospital in an army helicopter. “The PAF aircraft was on a training flight but crashed due to some technical fault,” it said.
The Mirage V ROSE is an upgraded version of the French Mirage 5, a combat aircraft in service with the Pakistan Air Force since the 1970s. The Retrofit of Strike Element (ROSE) programme enhanced its avionics and radar, improving its precision and combat capabilities. It remains a key part of the PAF’s fleet despite its age.