The aircraft was carrying 23 personnel when it crashed in a remote area of Melville Island, off the coast of Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory, around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday local time, the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin said in a statement. The five seriously injured Marines were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for treatment.
The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated, the statement said. The Marine Corps did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Sunday.
The Marines were flying in support of Exercise Predator’s Run, a joint military exercise involving troops from Australia, the United States, and other countries, the force added.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the crash “tragic,” Reuters reported, and Northern Territory Incident Controller Matthew Hollamby called it “a significant incident.” He said in a statement that all necessary resources would be deployed.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said Sunday that the aircraft crashed in a remote area and no civilians were injured.
She said an emergency response was underway to triage the victims of the crash and transport them to hospital.
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