A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in the Bhimra village of Barmer district in Rajasthan at about 9 pm on Thursday, reported Indian media on Friday.

The Indian Air Force confirmed that both the pilots of the ill-fated fighter jet lost their lives in the crash. 

One of the local reports suggested that the fighter jet was on a night training sortie.

"Both the pilots in the MiG-21 trainer aircraft lost their lives in the crash. 

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IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families. A court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF said in a statement.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on the crash of MiG-21 fighter aircraft in Barmer. The IAF chief briefed him on the incident in detail. Singh expressed condolences for the two air warriors who lost their lives in the accident.

Visuals from the site showed flames emerging out of a crashed aircraft. The wreckage of the aircraft was spread over a radius of 0.5 km. According to eyewitnesses, bodies of one of the pilots was completely charred, while that of the other one was severely damaged. Some of the villagers even shared disturbing visuals of the ill-fated fighter jet on social media.