A US Marine Corp plane crashed during a military exercise off Australia’s north coast. Three people died and five others were taken to hospital in critical condition.
At least three people have died in a US military plane crash in northern Australia. A spokesman for the US Marine Corp. Five more of the 23 people on board were taken to a hospital in Darwin, 80 kilometers away, in critical condition, the Marines said in a statement. The cause of the crash is being determined.
Joint military exercise off the north coast
The Boeing MV-22B Osprey machine crashed on Melville Island off the north coast during the joint military exercise “Predators Run” by the USA, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor. All of the inmates are US military personnel, Northern Territory Premier Natasha Fyles said at a news conference.
“Australia and the US are working together on this matter,” Fyles said. According to the current state of knowledge, no residents of the very remote region were injured in the crash. The mission ended against the background of “catastrophic bush fires”.
rescue mission running
Planes and helicopters are on rescue missions to treat the injured and bring them to Darwin, the region’s capital. The “Code Brown” was activated in the Royal Darwin Hospital there – the highest alert level in Australian hospitals.
Around 150 US Marines are stationed in Darwin and regularly take part in joint military exercises with Australian and Filipino soldiers. Four Australian crew members died in a helicopter crash off the northeast coast during an exercise with the US in July.