IAF temporarily grounds MiG-21 squadrons
New Delhi, May 20: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has temporarily grounded its fleet of around 50 MiG-21 fighter aircraft following the crash of one of the jets in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh nearly two weeks ago, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
Three persons were killed after the MiG-21 aircraft crashed into a house in Hanumangarh shortly after it took off for a routine training sortie from the Air Force Station at Suratgarh on May 8.
The people cited above said all the MiG-21 aircraft are currently undergoing technical evaluation and checks, adding they will be allowed to fly only after clearance by the teams concerned carrying out the scrutiny.
The crash of the jet had again put the spotlight on the ageing fleet of Soviet-origin aircraft which were involved in around 400 accidents since their first induction in the early 1960s.
The MiG-21s used to be the mainstay of the IAF for a long period of time. After the first induction, the IAF procured over 870 MiG-21 fighters to boost its overall combat prowess.
However, the aircraft has a very poor safety record.
According to official data, MiG-21s were involved in 400 crashes in the last six decades.
At present, the IAF has three MiG-21 squadrons with a total of around 50 aircraft, according to officials.
The IAF last year finalised a timeline of three years to phase out the remaining MiG-21 fighter squadrons.
The IAF also plans to start the phasing out of the three squadrons of Mig-29 fighter jets in the next five years.
As part of the IAF's modernisation plan, the defence ministry in February 2021 sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 83 Tejas jets.
The IAF has already procured 36 Rafale jets to enhance its combat capabilities.
It is also in the process of acquiring 114 Medium Role Fighter Aircraft.
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Wildfires race across Chile, leaving 15 dead, forcing thousands to flee
Penco (Chile) (AP): Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile on Sunday left at least 15 people dead, scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed scores of homes, authorities said, as the South American country swelters under a heat wave.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the country's central Biobio region and the neighbouring Nuble region, around 500 kilometres south of Santiago, the capital.
The emergency designation allows greater coordination with the military to rein in two dozen wildfires that have so far blazed through 8,500 hectares and prompted 50,000 people to evacuate, according to Chilean Security Minister Luis Cordero.
“All resources are available,” Boric wrote on X.
But local officials reported that for hours on Sunday, destruction was everywhere and help from the federal government was nowhere.
“Dear President Boric, from the bottom of my heart, I have been here for four hours, a community is burning and there is no (government) presence,” said Rodrigo Vera, the mayor of the small coastal town of Penco in the Biobio region. “How can a minister do nothing but call me to tell me that the military is going to arrive at some point?”
Firefighters were struggling to extinguish the flames, but strong winds and scorching weather hampered their efforts Sunday with temperatures topping 38 C (100 F).
Residents said that the fires took them by surprise after midnight, trapping them in their homes.
“Many people didn't evacuate. They stayed in their houses because they thought the fire would stop at the edge of the forest,” said John Guzman, 55, surveying the scene in Penco, where smoke blanketed the sky in an orange haze. “It was completely out of control. No one expected it."
Although the total number of homes burned nationwide remained unclear, one municipality of Concepcion in Biobio reported 253 homes destroyed.
“We fled running, with the kids, in the dark,” said Juan Lagos, 52, also in Penco. The fire engulfed most of the city, burning cars, a school and a church.
Charred bodies were found across fields, homes, along roads and in cars.
“From what we can see, there are people who died ... and we knew them well," said Víctor Burboa, 54. "Everyone here knew them.”
