JERUSALEM, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli F-16 war jet exploded during routine training on Wednesday, killing a pilot and injuring his navigator, a military officials said.

The fatal incident occurred in the Ramon Base in southern Israel, a military spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the pilot, whose name was not given, was killed when he was trying to escape the burning aircraft.

Local media reported that both the pilot and the navigator were ejected from the plane.

The navigator managed to escape, sustaining mild injuries only, the Hebrew Ynet news site reported.

The immediate cause of the accident was unclear, and a special investigation team was dispatched for the incident.