Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday thanked area people for helping the pilot of an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jet that crashed in Hoshiarpur earlier in the day.
The pilot had ejected to safety before the aircraft crashed to the ground.
"I am relieved to know that the IAF pilot ejected to safety in Hoshiarpur before his MIG-29 crashed today," the Chief Minister tweeted. He also shared a video clip on Twitter.
"Thank the local people for immediately rushing to the aid of the pilot. Proud of you all!"
An IAF statement said that the Mig-29 aircraft on a training mission from an air force base near Jalandhar had met with an accident at 10.45 am. The aircraft developed a technical snag but the pilot ejected safely as he was unable to control the aircraft.
"A court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident," the statement said.
( With inputs from IANS )