Three villagers were killed when an Indian military MiG-21 plane crashed into their home in western India on Monday, authorities said.

The plane crashed into a house in the western state of Rajasthan, killing three villagers, police officer Sudhir Chaudhary told AFP.

Preliminary assessment reported two killed and three injured.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed the crash, saying it happened shortly after takeoff during routine training.

The pilot “encountered an emergency situation onboard, before attempting to regain control of the aircraft according to established procedures”, explained the IAF in a press release.

“Failing to do so, the pilot ejected unharmed, with minor injuries,” he continued.

“IAF regrets the loss of life and extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families. A commission of inquiry has been set up to determine the cause of the accident.

Soviet-made MiG-21s entered service in India in the 1960s and formed the backbone of the air force for decades. However, the many accidents they have had earned them the nickname “flying coffins”.

Last July, two Indian fighter pilots were killed when their MiG-21 crashed during a training trip in the desert state of Rajasthan.

It was the sixth MiG-21 to crash, bringing the number of pilots killed since January 2021 to five.

In early 2023, a pilot was killed and two others injured in a mid-air collision between two fighter jets (a Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 and a French-made Mirage 2000) during a training exercise south of the capital New Delhi.

Last week an army helicopter with three people on board crashed in Kashmir.

Last October, five soldiers died in their helicopter crash in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, near the military border and contested with China.

It was the second military helicopter crash in the state that month, weeks after the Cheetah helicopter crashed near the town of Tawang, killing the pilot.

In December 2021, the Indian Chief of Military Staff, General Bipin Rawat, was killed along with 13 others in a Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter crash in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

India is investing billions of dollars to modernize its military equipment, driven by long-standing antagonism with Pakistan and rising tensions with China.

The country opened its largest helicopter-building factory in February, months after launching its first locally built aircraft carrier and testing a ballistic missile from its first national nuclear-powered submarine.

The Air Force has also acquired dozens of French Rafale fighter jets, the deliveries of which start in 2020.