A U.S. Marine transport plane carrying five Marines crashed in a remote part of Southern California on Wednesday afternoon.
A federal source told CBS News that four of the five had been killed. There was no information about the fate of the fifth.
The MV-22 Osprey, belonging to the 3rd Naval Aviation, crashed in a desert area near Glamis, California, Major Mason Englehart confirmed to CBS News. The crash happened around 12:25 local time.
The plane was carrying five Marines, Englehart said, but he could not immediately confirm the total number of people on board, including the crew, nor whether there were any deaths or injuries.
The U.S. Marine Corps tweeted Wednesday night that it “awaits confirmation” of the “status” of the five Marines.
“We ask for the public’s patience as we work hard with the first aid teams and the unit involved to identify what happened this afternoon,” he wrote.
Installation The Federal Fire and Fire Service of Imperial County responded to the crash, the El Centro naval air facility said, adding that “contrary to initial reports, there is no nuclear material on board the plane.”
Glamis is located in the rural district of Imperial, about 50 miles north of the US-Mexico border.
The third wing of the Marine Corps is based at Miramar Marine Corps, while Osprey itself is based at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps, Englehart said. Both are in neighboring San Diego County.
The cause of the crash was unclear.
Osprey is an inclined aircraft used to move troops and supplies, according to the Marines. It can take off and land like a helicopter, but it can also fly like an airplane.
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