A MiG-21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed near Bikaner in Rajasthan on Friday, ANI reported. The aircraft was on a routine mission from Nal near Bikaner. The pilot ejected safely, reports said.

The jet crashed in the Shobhasar ki Dhani area, 12 km from Bikaner city, PTI reported. Bikaner Superintendent of Police Pradeep Mohan Sharma said police teams rushed to the spot following the accident to cordon off the area.

A court of inquiry will be constituted to investigate the incident. IAF spokesperson Group Captain Anupam Banerjee said initial inputs indicated that the likely cause of the crash was a bird-hit after take-off.