NEW DELHI, November 12 (RIA Novosti) - A MiG-21 fighter aircraft belonging to the Indian Air Force crashed on Wednesday in northeast India, but the two pilots ejected safely, the Indian Defense Ministry said.

The accident occurred at about 10.45 a.m. (09:45 GMT) in upper Assam's Tinsukhia district just minutes after the plane had taken off from the Chabua airbase on a training flight, the ministry said. The Indian Air Force has ordered an inquiry into the crash.

The number of accidents involving MiG-21 aircraft has significantly decreased since India began cooperating with Russian experts in 2003 to improve security and pilot safety.

India currently has around 200 MiG-21 planes.