As per reports, a United States Marine Corps aircraft carrying 23 Marines onboard crashed on a northern Australian island, resulting in at least three confirmed fatalities and critical injuries sustained by at least five individuals. The incident took place during a multinational training exercise.

According to a statement released by the Marines, three individuals were confirmed dead on Melville Island, while five were airlifted in serious condition to the mainland city of Darwin, located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) away, for medical treatment. The statement indicated that recovery efforts were ongoing, and the cause of the crash was under investigation. An aircraft was dispatched from Darwin to retrieve more survivors from the remote crash site, but as of later hours, no further details concerning the fate of the remaining 15 Marines onboard had been disclosed.

An audio recording of a conversation with Australian air traffic controllers reportedly mentioned a "significant fire in the vicinity of the crash site," as relayed by a U.S. military official.

An eyewitness account from Melville resident Shane Murphy described seeing a "big mushroom of black smoke" rise from the wreckage as he was fishing on a beach during the crash.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy confirmed that no one on board had escaped injury. One of the injured individuals underwent surgery at the Royal Darwin Hospital, as stated by Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese conveyed that only Americans were affected by the crash during Exercise Predators Run, a multinational training endeavor involving the militaries of the United States, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and East Timor. Albanese expressed condolences to the three U.S. service personnel who lost their lives and the injured, as well as to the U.S. armed forces.

Around 150 U.S. Marines are presently stationed in Darwin, with up to 2,500 rotating through the city annually as part of a broader realignment of forces in the Asia-Pacific region.

The 12-day exercise, involving ground, sea, and air troops, is scheduled to conclude on September 7. It has been paused following the crash.

The aircraft involved, the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, is a hybrid that operates like a helicopter during takeoff and landing, with the ability to rotate its propellers forward during flight, allowing for airplane-like cruising speeds. Variants of the Osprey are utilized by the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force.

There have been five fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, resulting in a total of 16 fatalities. The most recent occurred in June 2022, claiming the lives of five Marines due to a mechanical failure related to a clutch, according to a crash investigation report released last month.

A recent report uncovered 16 similar clutch problems with Marine Ospreys since 2012, but no issues have arisen since the Marine Corps started equipment replacements in February. The crash occurred during an exercise involving 2,500 troops, mainly on Melville Island and Darwin. The island's population consists of around 1,000 Indigenous people. The crashed Osprey was one of two that flew from Darwin to Melville on the day of the incident.

Darwin's hospital, accommodating a population of 150,000, is under heightened emergency alert due to potential resource strain from multiple casualties. In July, a U.S. military exercise saw a helicopter crash off the northeast Australian coast, leading to the deaths of four Australian personnel.

Image source: TOI