Myanmar military plane crash claims pilot’s life

YANGON, Apr 03 (AFP): A Myanmar pilot died on Tuesday after a "technical failure" caused his military jet fighter to plummet into a paddy field in the centre of the country, the army said.

A live video on Facebook showed flames billowing up from the crash site near Kyunkone village about an hour away from the capital Naypyidaw.

Local people found the unconscious body of the pilot attached to his parachute nearby and tried to drag him away from the scattered debris for medical help.

The army chief's office later confirmed on its Facebook page that the crash was due to a "technical failure" and that the pilot died of his injuries on the way to a military hospital in nearby Taungoo town.

"An investigation is ongoing," the post added.