July 16, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 5, 1423

KOLKATA, July 15: Two airmen ejected safely from an Indian air force fighter jet which crashed in West Bengal state on Monday while on a training sortie, police said.

The Russian-made fighter, part of India’s accident-prone Mig-21 fleet, crashed into a field at Leusopokhri, in Darjeeling district, some 650kms northwest of Kolkata.

“There were no casualties on the ground. The two airmen, both squadron leaders, were slightly bruised after ejecting. The fire brigade is at the site of the accident,” police official said.

In May, a Mig-21 crashed into a residential area in Jalandhar, killing seven people on the ground and injuring a dozen.

The Indian air force has been criticized for a woeful safety record. Defence officials say at least 170 Migs have been lost in accidents over the past decade.—Reuters