"Two pilots were airlifted soon after the crash," an airbase official said.
Two jets of the Indian Air Force's Suryakiran Aerobatic Team collided in Bengaluru a day before the Aero India show begins in the city. Two out of the three pilots of the jets have ejected safely, initial reports said. Details of the third pilot are not known so far.
The accident took place during a rehearsal session at the Yelahanka airbase in north Bengaluru ahead of the mega show.
Thousands of visitors are expected to attend the five-day biennial event
Here are the LIVE Updates on the Air Force jets collision ahead of Bengaluru Air Show :
Two civilians hurt in the accident and the pilots taken to hospital. One of the pilot dies.
"The two aircraft were performing inverted manouvere, one top of another, when moments later the crash took place. They were flying in close formation and some technical error might have taken place. We saw 2 parachutes eject from the aircraft," said eye-witness and reporter Saurabh Joshi to NDTV.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is in Bengaluru, is on her way to the Yelahanka airbase. "I'm aware of it (incident)," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, but did not elaborate further when askedabout the accident. She said this on the sidelines of an event.
A video showed the two jets coming down, possibly while performing a complex manoeuvre. Another video showed thick, black plumes of smoke rising from the airbase.
Debris at the crash site
The accident took place at around 11:50 am during a rehearsal session at the Yelahanka airbase in north Bengaluru ahead of the mega show.