Five U.S. Marines were killed when a military aircraft crashed during a training mission in Southern California on Wednesday, the U.S. Marine Corps announced.
The aircraft, an MV-22B Osprey that belonged to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, crashed at around 12:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time near Glamis, Calif., the Marine Corps revealed in a statement on Thursday.
Moreover, they affirmed that the cause of the crash was under investigation and equipment recovery efforts were ongoing. The identities of the five Marines have not been released yet.
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“We mourn the loss of our Marines in this tragic mishap,” said Gen. Bradford J. Gering, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “Our hearts go out to their families and friends as they cope with this tragedy.”
In a statement on Wednesday, the Marine Corps said: “contrary to initial reports, there was no nuclear material on board the aircraft.”
Multiple agencies and emergency medical workers responded to the crash site, according to Gil Rebollar, a spokesman for the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident came almost three months after four Marines were killed in Norway during a NATO training.
Officials announced that all four people on board a U.S. military aircraft when it crashed during a NATO exercise in Norway were killed.
“As far as the police are aware, all four are of American nationality,” police said. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere tweeted condolences over what he said was the death of four Americans.
The Marine MV-22 Osprey crashed due to the extreme weather but was later located. It was not clear what condition it was in, according to a U.S. military official.
The II Marine Expeditionary Force stated that it was aware of the incident, which is being assessed.
“Norwegian civil authorities are leading the search and rescue efforts at this time,” the statement read. “We are grateful for their efforts and will assist them … in all manners possible.”
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