An Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jet crashed approximately 20 kilometers from Bhisiana Airbase in Punjab during the early hours of May 7.
The crash site, located in the village of Akali Kurd, was quickly cordoned off by military personnel as emergency services responded.
Eyewitnesses and photographic evidence of the wreckage, including pylon mounts, missile parts, and engine debris, confirmed the downed aircraft as a Rafale. Following the impact, the jet’s ammunition detonated in a secondary explosion, scattering debris and causing additional casualties.
Local police in Punjab were first to report the crash, followed by fire services. By daybreak, Indian Army and Air Force units arrived on site, established temporary shelters, and began recovering wreckage.
Indian rafale crashes in village near Bathinda Air Force base,You can see the wreckage of the Rafale fighter jet’s nose cone.A labourer from Haryana died and nine people sustained burn injuries following an explosion after the crash. https://t.co/b0E2k8F3mT pic.twitter.com/lT0IivgXgi
— 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) May 7, 2025
One civilian, identified only as a migrant worker named Govind from Haryana, died in the blast. Villagers said Govind had come to assist with wheat harvesting and was recording video near the wreck when the munitions exploded. “He came too close to the crash site with his phone. The plane ignited and then suddenly exploded. He died instantly,” a resident told reporters. Nine others sustained burn injuries.
The pilot survived the crash and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, Indian officials said.
The incident occurred just hours after the Indian Air Force launched strikes on targets inside Pakistan, in retaliation for a recent terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26.
While Pakistan has claimed to have shot down five Indian aircraft, only one confirmed loss—a Rafale involved in the night raid—has been acknowledged so far.