The death toll in the MIG 27 fighter crash in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district rose to four with three more persons succumbing to their injuries while the black box of the jet was recovered on Sunday.
Ranjit Roy, 25, died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri today evening while teenager Purnima Rai and ten-year old Latika Roy succumbed to their burn injuries on Saturday evening, Jalpaiguri Chief Medical Officer (Health) Radharan Banik told reporters.
The condition of three of the 12 injured is critical, he said. The MiG-27 had taken off from the Hashimara Air Base on a routine sortie and crashed within minutes in Bhotputti village on Saturday, killing a farmer Bholen Roy and injuring several others.
Meanwhile, the black box of the fighter aircraft was located near the crash spot today, a senior Air Force officer said, adding that a probe has been ordered into the incident.
The Air Force will pay an initial compensation of Rs one lakh to the kin of the dead and Rs 20,000 to the injured, the officer said.
Saket Verma, the injured pilot of the fighter jet, had ejected from the aircraft and returned to the airbase.
A three-member team, which includes a technical officer and a senior pilot, arrived from Delhi to probe the crash. Another team from the Hashimara Air Base also reached the spot.
