US plane breaks apart in the southern state of Mississippi at about 21:00 GMT on Monday. The Marines Corps plane incident killed Sixteen people.The crash took place in LeFlore County, 160 km north of the state capital, Jackson. All the sixteen victims were aboard the Marine Corps Aircraft, and no survivors have been found.
As reported by BBC, Phil Bryant, the Mississippi governor said that the incident was a tragedy.
He continued saying that the men and women in uniform, risk their lives every day to secure freedom.According to the BBC news, Donald Trump on Tuesday tweeted, 'Marine plane crash in Mississippi is heartbreaking. Melania and I send our deepest condolences to all!'
More about the incident
Seven members who died in the military air crash were members of an elite marine unit, situated at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina while, rest of the members were from Orange County, New York. Investigations are ongoing to determine why the plane crashed in LeFlore County on Monday afternoon. CNN reported that the debris was found over a wide area.
The plane was carrying fifteen Marines, and Navy Corpsman, alongside moving equipment and personnel from North Carolina to Western Base. As reported by the CNN, Gunnery Sergeant from Vermont was on board when the plane crashed. His father told the CNN that Johnson loved his job.
Marine Forces Reserve refueling and transport squadron owned the aircraft. The plane could be used for refueling planes in the air, and to carry cargo.The plane went down in a rural area, 85 miles north of Jackson, and the debris was found on both sides of the highway.
What did the witnesses have to say?
According to the CNN, one of the witnesses, Andy Jones reported that he had heard a loud bang, during his routine work in a field near his catfish farm.'The plane, nose down, spiraled to the ground while one of its engines trailed white smoke.' Andy Jones commented further on this topic.
At first, the plane looked like an acrobatic aircraft, blowing smoke out of its back. But then Andy Jones noticed that the smoke was coming from one side of the wing.The news was announced on Twitter by the Marine Corps. However, the organization refrained from providing details of the mishap.
Jones dialed 911 after the crash, but couldn't see the impact that the plane caused, due to the trees that blocked his vision.Afterward, when he went to the site, he saw mini explosions taking place from the crash."