CANBERRA, Australia — An aircraft belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps carrying troops crashed Sunday on Melville Island in Australia during a training exercise, officials say.
Three Marines have been confirmed dead and 23 others were injured, according to The Associated Press. Of the 23, five were flown to a hospital in Darwin in serious condition.
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft crashed at around 9:30 a.m. Sunday, the Marines said in a statement obtained by the AP.
“Recovery efforts are ongoing,” the Marines said in the statement.
The crash happened during “routine” military exercises, the Marines and Australian authorities said, according to The Washington Post.
A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashed near Darwin, Australia, at approximately 9:30 local time, 27 Aug. Three Marines have died as a result of the crash, and five others are currently in serious condition.
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) August 27, 2023
For additional updates, follow @MRFDarwin. pic.twitter.com/vxDnSdOqdV
“We acknowledge that this is a terrible incident,” Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said, according to the AP. “The Northern Territory government stands by to offer whatever assistance is required.”
Before Sunday’s crash, Marine Ospreys have been involved in five deadly crashes since 2012, the AP reported. They have led to 16 deaths.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that only Americans were injured in the crash, according to the AP.
“The initial reports suggest that the incident involves just U.S. defense force personnel,” Albanese said. “Our focus as a government and as the department of defense is very much on incident response and on making sure that every support and assistance is given at this difficult time.”
BREAKING: Three U.S. Marines were killed in an aircraft crash on an Australian island that injured 20 others during a military exercise, authorities said. Five of the 23 on board were flown in serious condition to the city of Darwin, the Marines said. https://t.co/WoWETy0s9n
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 27, 2023
The Marines on the plane were flying to support Exercise Predators Run at the time of the crash, the Marines said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. The run is a joint military exercise that involves troops from the U.S., Australia, and other countries, according to the Post.
The exercise lasts 12 days and was expected to end on Sept. 7, the AP reported. It involves troops in the air, the sea, and on land.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The names of the three Marines have not yet been released.
