- A twin-engine training plane crashed near the Ganges River in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
- Both the pilot and co-pilot died in the crash
- The cause of the crash is currently unknown but involved loss of control
A twin-engine four-seater training plane crashed in a field near the banks of the Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on Thursday, killing both the pilot and the co-pilot.
According to the police, one of the pilots was a trainee, and the other was an instructor.
The two, identified as Sachin Bhatia from Gujarat and Abhishek Pujari from Karnataka, took off at 11:30 am from the Garg Aviation training centre in Kanpur. The incident took place around 11:50 am when they were flying back to the training centre.
"We have got information about the instructor. He had an experience of around 3,000 hours. The DGCA has been informed. Their team will conduct a thorough investigation. The police have protected the entire area," Raghubir Lal, Police Commissioner, Kanpur Nagar, said.
Emergency services and authorities immediately rushed to the spot.
Visuals from the incident site showed a completely wrecked plane in a grassy, wooded area. The metal parts of the flight can be seen twisted, with the wing and other white panels broken into pieces.
The exact cause of the crash is not yet known. Officials said it occurred after the plane lost control.
The training aircraft was brought to the centre in 2023, officials added.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of the pilots killed in the accident. He also prayed for the peace of the departed souls and for the strength of the families to bear the immense loss.
(With inputs from Arun Agarwal)
