At least one person was killed and nine others injured after an unidentified aircraft crashed and caught fire in Aklian Kalan village of Punjab’s Bathinda district around 2 a.m. on Wednesday.
The deceased has been identified as Govind, a farm labourer from Charkhi Dadri, Haryana. He succumbed to his injuries at a nearby health centre. Authorities have yet to confirm the identity or whereabouts of the aircraft’s pilot.
The crash occurred in harvested wheat fields about 500 metres from the nearest residential area and roughly 20 km from Bathinda city. Eyewitnesses reported waking up to a loud explosion followed by flames. As villagers rushed to help, the wreckage exploded again, injuring several people with fire and flying debris.
Emergency responders, including fire tenders, police, and defence personnel, quickly cordoned off the site. The injured were taken to Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Civil Hospital in Bathinda, with at least one referred to AIIMS Bathinda for further treatment.
District officials have remained tight-lipped, saying the aircraft’s identity and cause of the crash will be disclosed only by defence authorities.
The incident comes amid heightened security in border states following India’s precision strikes under Operation Sindoor. Punjab’s border districts have been placed on high alert.
