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Sixteen dead as Marines Corps plane crashes in Mississippi
At least 16 people have died after a US military plane crashed in the southern state of Mississippi at around on Monday
Smoke and flames rise into the air after a military transport airplane crashed in a field near Itta Bena, Mississippi
A US Marine refuelling tanker crashed into a soybean field in rural Mississippi on Monday, killing at least 16 people aboard and spreading debris for miles, officials said.
The KC-130 transport aircraft crashed late on Monday in rural Mississippi about 135km north of the state capital city of Jackson.
Marine Corps spokeswoman Sarah Burns said in a statement that a plane "experienced a mishap", but provided no other details regarding the circumstances of the crash.
Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks told The Associated Press that officials were still searching for bodies after nightfall, more than five hours after the crash.
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant said the incident was a "tragedy".
"Our men and women in uniform risk themselves every day to secure our freedom," he said.
No official details were immediately available on the circumstances of the crash.
Local Fire Chief Marcus Banks told the Greenwood Commonwealth that firefighters were driven back by several "high-intensity explosions", possibly caused by jet fuel igniting. He said 4,000 gallons of foam were sprayed at the aircraft in a bid to subdue the fire.
