Three U.S. Marines are dead and 20 are wounded after a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed on Melville Island in Australia.
Troops were being transported during a routine training exercise when the accident occurred, the Marines said in a statement.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
Five of the wounded have been transported to Royal Darwin Hospital in serious condition.
"Recovery efforts are ongoing," the Marines said.
Those aboard the aircraft had been flying in support of Exercise Predators Run, which involves the militaries of the U.S., Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said only Americans were hurt in the crash.
"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the three U.S. service personnel who lost their lives, those who have been injured, the rest of the crew and indeed the entire United States armed forces," Albanese said in a statement.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that can take off, hover and land like a helicopter but can also convert its propellers to operate like wings of an airplane, giving it more speed and range, according to Boeing.
Marine Ospreys have now been involved in 6 fatal crashes since 2012, with the previous incident being in June 2022, when five Marines died in a fiery crash in California, according to the Associated Press.
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