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IAF jet crashes into house: AFP

A Russian-built MiG-27 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed into a house in Midnapore in West Bengal on Monday, an air force spokesman said.

"The pilot ejected and the plane crashed into a hut," the spokesman said, adding that the pilot and two others on the ground were injured.

The plane was on a routine flight when at around 7:30 am ground control alerted the pilot to a fire at the tail of the jet and warned him that he was flying over a densely-populated area.

The pilot ejected over an empty stretch and the plane ploughed into a hut and exploded in a ball of fire, a city official in Midnapore said, adding that the pilot was seriously hurt after bailing out.

The Indian Air Force, the world's fourth largest, is plagued by frequent crashes which military experts blame on poor maintenance, ageing equipment and ill-trained pilots.

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