ISTANBUL

An indigenous Indian fighter jet crashed during the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, killing its pilot, said a statement by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

“An IAF Tejas aircraft met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show today. The pilot sustained fatal injuries in the accident,” said the IAF in a statement.

“Deeply” regretting the loss of life, it said, the IAF “stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief.”

The IAF will “ascertain the cause of the accident,” the statement added.

Earlier, videos on social media showed the single-seater jet crashing down at the Dubai Airshow, billowing out huge amounts of smoke.

According to Indian broadcaster NDTV, the crash occurred at around 2.10 pm local time (1210GMT) before thick smoke engulfed the site at Al Maktoum International Airport.

The aircraft is developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and the incident at Dubai Airshow marks the second crash involving a Tejas aircraft in less than two years, said the report.

Last year in March, a Tejas fighter crashed in India's western state of Rajasthan – “the first such accident in the aircraft's 23-year history since its maiden test flight in 2001,” while the pilot had ejected safely, it added.