Disaster in central China: fighter jet flies into residential area – one dead and three injured

A plane crash has apparently occurred during a military exercise in the Chinese city of Xiangyang. State media report one fatality. The pilot was able to save himself from the impact.

A fighter jet crashed in a residential area in central China, killing one and injuring two others. An Air Force J-7 crashed near an airport on Thursday during a training flight, state television broadcaster CCTV reported. The fatality is said to be a local resident.

According to state media, several buildings were badly damaged in the crash of the jet. People’s Daily, the media brand of the Chinese Communist Party, shared footage of a fire in a residential area on Thursday.

According to the CCTV report, two other residents were injured. They were taken to the hospital, as was the pilot, who parachuted to safety. The cause of the crash in the city of Xiangyang in Hubei province is being investigated, CCTV reported.

Flames and smoke could be seen on a street in Xiangyang in pictures of the crash site released by the official Xinhua news agency. Several buildings were apparently razed to the ground.