Bhopal/Seoni, Dec 8 (NationPress) A significant disaster was narrowly avoided on Monday evening in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district when a training aircraft nearly struck a high-voltage power line mid-flight and subsequently crashed near Sukatra village in the Kurai police jurisdiction.

The event unfolded at approximately 6:30 p.m., triggering widespread panic in the area. Local villagers quickly arrived at the scene and successfully rescued both the trainer (pilot) and the trainee.

A video capturing the incident rapidly gained traction on social media platforms.

In a statement to IANS, C.S. Tekam, Investigation Officer at Kurai Police Station, confirmed: "Both the trainer and trainee are out of danger. They were transported to a private hospital. One sustained a head injury, while the other suffered facial injuries. Nonetheless, both were able to exit the aircraft safely."

The officer noted that the aircraft was a two-seater training model, although the manufacturer's details are not yet available.

The trainer and trainee were identified as Ajeet Anthony and Ashok Chhava, respectively. "We are awaiting directives from higher authorities concerning the investigation," he added, emphasizing that no fatalities were reported despite one wheel of the plane becoming ensnared in a 33kV high-tension line, which was severed from its tower upon landing.

“The training organization has been active in the region since 2023,” the police official remarked.

Eyewitness accounts and initial investigations indicate that the aircraft began descending unexpectedly due to a technical malfunction. “It likely lost power, causing one of its wheels to get caught in the high-voltage line momentarily.”

The significant weight caused the wire to snap, resulting in a loud noise and sparks, which induced panic among the locals. "Fortunately, no major damage occurred," the police officer elucidated.

Residents reported seeing sparks as the aircraft made contact with the wires, and within moments, they recognized the peril faced by the plane's occupants. They rushed to aid them.

Villagers also claimed that this was not an isolated incident, alleging that training aircraft had overturned twice in the past while operating on the runway. They cautioned that had the plane remained entangled in the wires for a few more seconds, the outcome could have been catastrophic.