UpdateThree US Marines have been killed after a United States military aircraft crashed on an island north of the Australian city of Darwin. The crash happened during an army exercise.
RL, KVE
Latest update:
11:08
Source:
Sky News Australia, Reuters, ABC, The New York Times
The V22 Osprey helicopter crashed near Melville Island on Sunday around 11 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. in Belgium) during large-scale military exercises, which saw soldiers from Australia, the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor to join. The soldiers on board would all be Americans.
“There were a total of 23 crew members on board. Three have been confirmed dead, while five others have been transported to Royal Darwin Hospital in serious condition,” the US Navy said in a statement.
Earlier, Australian police said 23 US Marines were injured, one of them seriously.
The Australian Department of Defense reported that no Australian soldiers were involved in the crash. The Australian Prime Minister stated that the plane crashed on Melville Island. He called the accident “tragic”. According to Australian media, the aircraft is a V-22 Osprey, an aircraft with characteristics of both a helicopter and an airplane.
Cause crash
It is still unclear how the plane crashed. The United States participates in the Predators Run exercise in Australia, involving thousands of soldiers. In addition to the Americans and Australians, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor are also participating.
At the end of July, an Australian army helicopter also crashed into the sea during a military exercise east of Australia near the Whitsundays. All four occupants were killed.
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