A US forces plane crashed this Wednesday with eight crew members on board off the coast of Yakushima, southwest of Japan, according to Japanese authorities, who have confirmed the death of one of its crew members.
The Coast Guard received a notice at 2:47 p.m. local time this Wednesday (5:47 GMT) about the aircraft incident, which took place in offshore waters off the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima, a spokesperson confirmed to EFE.
It was a Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft carrying eight crew members. The Japanese authorities confirmed the discovery of the lifeless body of one of them, in addition to the remains of the plane. Three other passengers of the aircraft would have also been found by the vessels participating in the search device, although their status is unknown at the moment, according to local media.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense “has given the order to dedicate all possible efforts to the rescue of the victims together with the Coast Guard,” according to Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa, who also pointed out that the incidents are being investigated. causes of the accident with the US Army.
Eyewitnesses cited by state broadcaster NHK stated that the aircraft caught fire in mid-flight and exploded in mid-air before falling into the sea. The search and rescue device in the area has 6 boats and 2 helicopters from the Japanese Coast Guard and another 5 boats from local fishing cooperatives.
The aircraft had taken off before the accident from the US base in Iwakuni, in Yamaguchi prefecture (west), and was heading to the Kadena base in the Okinawa archipelago (southwest), where most of the military installations are concentrated. of the US in Japan.
