Indian fighter jet crashes in Kashmir

The ageing MiGs have a poor safety record

An Indian military plane has crashed in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing at least one person, police say.

The plane, a Russian MiG-21, ploughed into a house in the village of Lalpora, about 35 kilometres (20 miles) south-west of the summer capital, Srinagar.

The pilot is reported to have ejected safely.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash, but officials said it was not shot down.

"The MiG crashed due to a technical snag," Reuters news agency quoted an unnamed official as saying.

The plane was making what air force authorities called a routine sortie when it came down.

House destroyed

Police said the owner of the house died and his son was injured and taken to hospital.

The house was destroyed in the impact

The house was destroyed by the impact, police said.

Security forces at the scene of the crash were searching the rubble for any other casualties.

MiGs are the mainstay of the Indian air force but have a poor safety record, correspondents say.

Last month, a MiG crashed in the eastern state of West Bengal, killing both pilots on board.

The air force patrols the Indian-controlled sector of the Himalayan region, which is disputed with neighbouring Pakistan.