Rescue operations were underway yesterday for five US Marines missing after two military aircraft crashed during a refueling operation off the coast of Japan.
One crew member has already been rescued and is thought to be in a stable condition, Japanese Minister of Defense Takeshi Iwaya told reporters.
A spokesman for the Japan Self-Defense Forces said another crew member had been found, but there were no immediate details of the marine’s condition.
“The marine is being transported to a local hospital for evaluation,” the US military said in a statement.
“US military and Japan Self-Defense Force planes and vessels are searching for those still missing ... I hope all the members will be rescued safely as soon as possible,” Iwaya said.
The marines were conducting “regularly scheduled training” when the crash occurred at about 2am, the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement.
A F/A-18 jet with two crew onboard and a KC-130 refueling tanker with five crew crashed into the sea about 100km off Cape Muroto in southwestern Japan, Iwaya said.
The crew member rescued had been in the fighter jet, the minister said.
The Japan Self-Defense Forces had deployed nine aircraft and three vessels in the search, he said.
“We are thankful for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s efforts as they immediately responded in the search and rescue operation,” the US military said.
A spokesman for the Japanese Coast Guard said six vessels and an aircraft had been dispatched separately to assist in the rescue efforts.
There are few details about the circumstances of what the US described as a “mishap” and an investigation is underway.
Public broadcaster NHK sent a helicopter to try to find the crash site, but was unable to locate it due to heavy fog and rain.
During a normal KC-130 refueling operation, the tanker aircraft trails a hose from the back of the plane with a so-called “drogue,” shaped a bit like a windsock, at the end.
The fighter then inserts a probe inside the drogue to receive fuel, which it can do at a rate of up to about 1,100 liters per minute, globalsecurity.org said.
The US military has about 50,000 troops stationed in Japan and accidents are not uncommon.
Last month, a US Navy fighter jet crashed into the sea off Okinawa and its two crew members were rescued alive.
In November last year, a C-2A “Greyhound” aircraft with 11 people on board went down in the Philippine Sea — eight were rescued before the search for the remaining three was called off.
The US military has also experienced difficulties with its Osprey helicopters, with several emergency landings, a deadly crash and a piece of chopper falling on the grounds of a Japanese school.
Those incidents have stoked tensions between close military allies Washington and Tokyo, and led to protests against the deployment of Ospreys by residents living near US bases.
Iwaya said the incident was “regrettable, but at this point we are doing our utmost to rescue those still missing.”
“Later, if we get to know the details of the accident, we will take appropriate measures,” he added.
He said that there was no information that any passing vessels were affected by the crash.
Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda told the city’s assembly that he had asked the US military to halt operations until the cause of the accident became clear.
“I will urge the government and the US military to take thorough measures in finding out the cause of the accident and preventing a repeat,” Fukuda said.
US Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty said he was sending “heartfelt thoughts and prayers to families and colleagues of those still missing,” while also praising the Japanese response.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was