Two pilots of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) were killed on Tuesday as their jet crashed during landing at the Peshawar Air Base, Pakistani officials said.

"Pakistan Air Force reports with regret that a PAF FT-7PG trainer aircraft while recovering from a routine operational training mission crashed during landing at Peshawar Air Base. Rescue operation is in progress," the air force said in a statement after the incident.

GEO News quoted the Pakistan Air Force spokesman as saying that the air headquarters has directed the formation of a board of inquiry to prove the incident.

It also quoted official sources as saying that the aircraft crashed around 11:40am Pakistan time near the customs landing runway. It is believed that the plane crashed due to a technical fault.

An eye-witness quoted by Geo News, said the pilots tried to save the nearby civilian population and steered the jet towards the runway but it blew up during crash-landing.

An emergency condition was declared at the airport after the incident, the report said.

However, airport sources said the rescue staff managed to douse the flames and clear the runway.