NEWS

Fighter jet from Myanmar crashes into lake, killing pilot

According to state-run media, a Myanmar fighter jet crashed into a lake in the country’s northwest on Wednesday, citing a technical fault as the cause.

The plane crashed in a zone where the Myanmar army and forces opposed to army authority are engaged in heavy conflict. The pilot was later confirmed dead by the military in a statement.

State-run The plane crashed into a lake 16 kilometres (10 miles) north of Sagaing, according to MRTV. According to the report, the jet lost communication with a military air base at Tada-U in Mandalay Region at 10:43 a.m. while it was beginning its training manoeuvres.

A military helicopter took away body pieces found at the crash site, according to a local rescue worker. According to him, the jet that crashed was a Chinese-made model that was painted in the air force’s regular blue colour scheme.

There were no reports of casualties on the ground, according to the rescue worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Villagers heard a “very loud” sound of the plane crashing near the southeastern coast of the lake, according to a local resident who begged that his name not be used to prevent government repercussions.

Sagaing Region, one of Myanmar’s seven administrative divisions (including the capital city), is a hotbed of violent opposition to the ruling military, which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected administration in February last year. The opposition to the takeover was originally peaceful, but the authorities’ use of lethal force escalated the fight to a civil war, according to some United Nations experts.

Military offensives, including air strikes, have displaced tens of thousands of people and resulted in an undetermined number of civilian casualties.

Myanmar’s military receives the majority of its combat aircraft from China or Russia, which also supplies other weapons. In addition to additional restrictions, many Western countries maintain an arms embargo.

shortlink

Post Your Comments


Back to top button