Bengaluru: It was a deafening noise that shook the civilians near the Yelahanka Air Base on Tuesday morning. As they were wondering whether an earthquake had struck the city, they saw a thick plume of smoke coming from ISRO layout nearby and rushed to the spot.
An eyewitness, Mr Uday Kumar, said, “I was enjoying the aerobatics show of Suryakiran when suddenly the flights collided mid-air. A few of us rushed to the spot and found the pilot trying to rescue himself. He signalled us to inform the emergency service, the police, ambulance and fire brigade.”
He said, “The pilot had bleeding injuries, but looked calm. We tried to rescue him, but blasts from the Hawk trainer aircraft that had crashed kept us at a distance. Emergency services were not connecting and we too panicked looking at the pilot with blood stains. But within minutes, the Indian Air Force personnel rushed to the spot and rescued him.”
Wing Commander (retd) G.B. Athri said that it is difficult to douse the fire from aircraft fuel especially during an accident. “Even the metal would melt from the impact and leakage of aviation fuel,” he said.
