JALPAIGURI, WEST BENGAL (PTI): A MiG-27 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force Saturday crashed in a field, killing one person on the ground and injuring 25 others, five of them critically, at Bhotputti village in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district.

The pilot, Saket Verma, ejected from the aircraft but was injured and has been hospitalised, Superintendent of Police Anand Kumar said.

Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) Ranveer Kumar said that a farmer, B Rai, who was cultivating his field, was killed when the MIG crashed between Moynaguri and Chengrabandha.

The SP said that 25 people were injured when the aircraft crashed, of whom 5 were in a serious condition.

An IAF spokesperson said in New Delhi that the MiG-27 took off from the Hashimara Air Base on a routine sortie and crashed within minutes of take-off.

The mishap took place around 10:30 am at a place around 25 km away from the Hashimara base.
The exact spot where the aircraft crashed was Gurudebpur village.

According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft came down in flames before hitting the ground with thick black smoke billowing out.

People of the village fled in panic as the aircraft came down.

Four of the seriously injured have been referred to the Siliguri Medical College and Hospital, hospital sources said.