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Greek F-16 fighter jet crash: French citizen among 10 killed in plane crash at Spanish military base | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
At least 10 people have died at a military base in southeastern Spain, after a Greek F-16 fighter jet crashed into a hangar and triggered a large fire, according to officials. | At least 10 people have died at a military base in southeastern Spain, after a Greek F-16 fighter jet crashed into a hangar and triggered a large fire, according to officials. |
The two pilots on board the plan were among the dead. A further 13 people were injured in the incident at around 3:30pm (local time) at the Los Llanos base, in Albacete, where the aircraft was taking part in a Nato exercise. | |
Spain's Defence Ministry said that seven others were in a serious condition, while one person had been treated and released from hospital. The conditions of the five others were not disclosed. | |
The two-seat plane crashed as it attempted to take off but lost thrust in an area where other aircrafts were parked and preparing to join the Tactical Leadership Program (TLP) training exercise, the ministry said in a statement. | |
Nato uses the military base to train pilots and crews from member states. Most of the victims were not thought to be Spanish, according to the nation's Foreign Ministry official. | |
France's Defence Ministry confirmed that one Frenchman was killed and five seriously injured. | |
A Pentagon spokeswoman said that there were no US personnel killed but an unknown number were treated for minor injuries, said Air Force Lt. Col. Vanessa Hillman, a Pentagon spokeswoman. | |
Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain also participate in TLP, but the nationalities of the other victims remains unclear. | |
Reports from El Pais state that the victims are from around six or seven different countries, including France and the US. | |
An F-16 jet, similar to the aircraft which crashed and killed 10 people in Spain. (Getty Images) Emergency crews were not immediately allowed on the scene amid fears fuel tanks inside parked aircrafts could explode, but are now working to douse the blaze as black plumes of smoke filled the air. | |
Officials are currently attempting to determine how much damage was caused to other planes involved in the NATO exercise, the ministry said in a statement. | |
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he was "deeply saddened by the crash of a Greek fighter jet at the Los Llanos base in Spain, which has caused many casualties." | |
He did not specify their nationalities in a statement, but called the crash "a tragedy that affects the whole NATO family." | |
"I am deeply saddened," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. | |
"This is a tragedy which affects the whole NATO family. I express my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones and the nations of those who lost their lives, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured." | |
According to a US Air Force Website, TLP was formed in 1978 by NATO's Central Region air forces to advance their tactical capabilities and produce tactics, techniques and procedures that improve multi-national tactical air operations. | According to a US Air Force Website, TLP was formed in 1978 by NATO's Central Region air forces to advance their tactical capabilities and produce tactics, techniques and procedures that improve multi-national tactical air operations. |
The first TLP course was located at Fuerstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany. It has been based at the Spanish base since June 2009. | The first TLP course was located at Fuerstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany. It has been based at the Spanish base since June 2009. |
Additional reporting by AP | Additional reporting by AP |