MP: Trainee female pilot, flight instructor killed as trainer aircraft crashes in Balaghat district
Balaghat (MP)/Gondia, Mar 18: A trainer aircraft crashed on Saturday in the hilly region of Madhya Pradesh's Naxalite-affected Balaghat district and caught fire, killing the flight instructor and the woman trainee pilot, officials said.
The aircraft belonged to the IGRAU (Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi) which was on a training sortie, and prima facie bad weather caused the crash, said an official from Gondia in neighbouring Maharashtra.
Balaghat Superintendent of Police Sameer Saurabh said two badly burnt bodies were recovered from the spot which falls under the Lanji police station.
He said the charred body of a man (believed to be that of pilot Mohit Thakur's) was found on the hills of Lanji and Kirnapur areas, about 40 km from the Balaghat district headquarters, near the site of the crash.
"We received information at around 3:45 pm (about the crash). As the area falls under the Naxalite-infested belt, security forces were summoned. Other personnel reached the spot after the area was cordoned off. We have recovered the bodies of the flight instructor and the woman pilot which are badly burnt. The spot comes under the Lanji police station", Saurabh added.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Anurag Sharma told PTI the trainer aircraft took off from the Birsi airstrip in Gondia district bordering Balaghat at 3.06 pm. It lost connection with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 3.11 pm.
"It is widely believed that the charred body was that of pilot Mohit Thakur's (around 25 years)," he said and added the woman trainee pilot, Vrikshanka Maheshwari, (around 20 years) is missing.
"Prima facie, both of them perished in the crash," he added.
The trainer aircraft belongs to IGRAU (Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi). It crashed at the hills near Bhukkutola village in Balaghat district at around 3:30 pm, killing a flight training captain and a female trainee, IGRAU Administrative Officer Satya Kumar told PTI in Gondia.
"The trainer aircraft with flight instructor captain Mohit took off from the Birsi airport on a routine sortie at around 3 PM. It reportedly crashed due to bad weather in the hills near Bhukkutola village," he said.
"The aircraft caught fire in which bodies of captain Mohit and the trainee pilot were badly mutilated. After getting the information, a fire-fighting team and a rescue team from Birsi along with other officials concerned rushed to the spot," he added.
The wreckage of the aircraft was traced on the hills, Kumar said, adding villagers were first to reach the spot.
Ohh My God..!
— Govind Gurjar (@Gurjarrrrr) March 18, 2023
Plane Crash in MP's Balaghat
Trainee Pilot and Captain (instructor) no More in the Crash
Crash happened in Bhakkutola forest of Kirnapur police station area in Balaghat MP.
Trainee Pilot Rukshanka and instructor Mohit no more in the crash
More info awaited pic.twitter.com/KmWObE1W7b
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Some people trying to disturb peace in name of caste politics: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said some people are trying to disturb peace in the name of caste politics and called for thwarting such designs to preserve the social harmony in rural parts of the country.
Inaugurating the Grameen Bharat Mahotsav, the Prime Minister exuded confidence that villages will play a key role in pushing forward the dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Without mentioning any names, Modi said certain people are trying to disturb peace by spreading the venom of caste politics.
"We have to work to strengthen the heritage of peace and harmony of villages," he said.
Recalling the steps taken by the NDA government since 2014, for rural development, Modi, quoting an SBI research report, said poverty in rural India came down to below 5 per cent from 26 per cent in 2012.
He said the previous government had neglected the people living in rural India, and even after decades of independence, villages were deprived of basic necessities.
But his government is empowering villages, and focusing on those who were neglected before, the Prime Minister said.
Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said banks have undertaken saturation drive for 16 government schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, PM Mudra and PM SVANidhi.
The Mahotsav, through various discussions, workshops and masterclasses, aims to enhance rural infrastructure, create self-reliant economies, and foster innovation within rural communities.
Its objectives include promoting economic stability and financial security among rural populations, with a special focus on North-East India, by addressing financial inclusion and supporting sustainable agricultural practices.
