I asked an Indian friend to comment on allegations that Indian Pilot's always crashes into residential houses ... his comments
" ... hey C... mon .. yo know mon we have more poepel (people) than air in India ... "
India - At least three people were killed and two dozen injured on Friday when an Indian air force fighter jet crashed into three houses in the northern state of Punjab, the air force said.
The pilot ejected safely from the Russian-designed MiG-23 fighter which was on a routine mission when it hit the houses in the village of Mullanpua, 100km north-west of of the state capital, Chandigarh.
"About two dozen people received burn injuries. Several others are trapped in the debris and the exact number of injured and dead will only be known after the debris is cleared," an air force spokesperson told Reuters. He had no further details.
Cranes were brought in to lift the wreckage of the single-seater plane from the houses that were reduced to rubble as firefighters brought the blaze under control.
It was the third time since mid-2002 that an Indian combat jet has crashed into residential areas in the state. Last July, a MiG-21 ploughed into houses in Jalandhar, killing seven people on the ground. In November, a British-made Jaguar crashed into houses in Ambala, killing four people.
India's air force, the world's fourth largest, has come under criticism for a woeful safety record. Defence officials say at least 170 Russian-made MiG combat planes have been lost in accidents over the past decade.