The North Korean MiG-21 Soviet-era jet fighter that crashed in northeastern China on Tuesday is known to have contained only one person. The confirmation was made by intelligence sources in China.

Prior to that, some foreign media including Japan's Kyodo News, reported that two people may have been in the jet, one of whom escaped via parachute.

Some foreign media speculate that the pilot, who was found dead inside the plane at the crash site, was attempting to defect to Russia when the plane went down.