Raining jets: Families blame ageing Indian air force aircraft for crashes

The Indian Air Force and the country's bureaucracy has come under severe criticism after two pilots died in an air crash earlier which families of the deceased blamed on ageing aircraft, Times of India reported.



Deceased Squadron Leader Samir 'Batman' Abrol's brother Sushant took to social media to call out the system over its loopholes. Trending under the hashtag #lostpilots on Twitter, he sought support of users on the micro-blogging site, imploring not to let his brother and his co-pilot Squadron Leader Siddarth Negi's death go unnoticed.

"It's high time we care not just for lost votes but also for our lost pilots to the negligence of the corrupt system," said Sushant.



The IAF lost over 35 jets and helicopters to air crashes between 2015 and 2016, which claimed over 45 lives.

2011 onwards, the IAF, along with the Indian army and navy, have witnessed accidents of over 75 aircrafts and helicopters, killing 80 people.

 

This article originally appeared on Times of India.