Amreli (Gujarat) (PTI): A trainee pilot was killed when a trainer aircraft belonging to a private aviation academy crashed in a residential area in Gujarat's Amreli district on Tuesday afternoon and caught fire, a police official said.

The plane fell on a tree before crashing into an open plot.

The aircraft crash-landed into a residential area in the Giriya Road area of Amreli town at around 12:30 pm due to unknown reasons, killing the trainee pilot on the spot, said Amreli Superintendent of Police, Sanjay Kharat.

The pilot was flying solo. The aircraft had taken off from the Amreli airport, he added.

After it crashed near Shastri Nagar area, the plane caught fire and engulfed in flames, said Kharat.

"After taking off from the Amreli airport with a male trainee pilot, the trainer aircraft of an aviation academy, which operates from the airport, crashed into a residential area. The trainee pilot, who was flying solo, died in the crash while the aircraft was gutted in flames. No one else was injured in the accident," said Kharat.

He said a Delhi-based aviation academy provides pilot training from the Amreli airport.

The SP said local police have started the process to lodge a case of accidental death and investigation to find out the exact cause of the crash.

Four teams of local fire brigade rushed to Shastrinagar upon learning about the plane crash and resultant fire in the aircraft, said fire officer SC Gadhvi.

"Though the plane crashed into a residential area, no one else was injured because it first fell on a tree and then crashed into an open plot. The fire was eventually brought under control by our teams" he said.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday said the state government is working to appoint an agency to manage clean drinking water units in rural areas.

The state Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister was responding to a question by Hirekerur MLA U B Banakar in the legislative assembly.

"In the rural areas of the state, many clean drinking water units have been set up under corporate social responsibility (CSR) grants, including contributions by MLAs and MPs, and handed over to gram panchayats. After the maintenance period, problems have arisen in keeping these units operational," Priyank said.

He added that a proposal has been made to award a maintenance contract to one of the country’s reputed drinking water unit manufacturing companies, but so far, no companies have come forward to take up the work.

ALSO READ: Woman threatens to end life as police official refuses to accept love proposal, FIR registered

"The government is continuing its efforts and will resolve this problem soon," he said.

On a query regarding fluoride content in water, the minister said water quality testing is being conducted monthly in all zilla panchayats.

"Laboratories have been opened for this purpose. Around 6.5 lakh water samples have been tested across the state, and water testing kits have been provided to villages," he added.