A Chinese fighter jet crashed in a southern Chinese city Tuesday, sparking a fire that injured at least four people, reports said.

The Jian-7 fighter plane belonging to the Chinese air force crashed Tuesday morning in Shantou city, Guangdong province, China Central Television said, citing local firefighters at the scene.

The pilot reportedly ejected safely from the plane but Shantou city government said four people on the ground were injured and three were hospitalised.

Photos from the scene posted on web portal Sina.com showed a dislodged wing of the jet next to a burning building as thick smoke billowed from the crash site.

The Jian-7 is a Chinese-built version of the Russian MiG-21, which was first introduced in the 1950s.