ISLAMABAD, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Two pilots of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) were killed after their training aircraft crashed in the country's northwest city of Peshawar on Tuesday, an official statement said.
The air force said in a statement that the two pilots, including a wing commander and a flying officer, lost their lives in the incident while trying to save the civilian population.
"The Pakistan Air Force reports with regret that a trainer aircraft, while recovering from a routine operational training mission, crashed during landing at Peshawar Air Base," said the PAF.
The trainer fighter jet crashed when the pilot was attempting for an emergency landing after the plane encountered some technical fault.
The control tower allowed the pilot to land at the runway but the plane crashed before it could reach it.
The jet caught fire after it crashed in the premises of the nearby Bacha Khan International Airport of Peshawar, local media reported.
A huge smoke rising from the airport premises could be seen. Rescue teams and security personnel rushed to the site and put off the fire.
The PAF has announced to form an investigation board to determine the cause of the crash.
