A French serviceman severely injured in a plane crash at a Spanish military base has died in hospital bringing the death toll from the accident to 11
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A French serviceman severely injured in a plane crash at a Spanish military base has died in hospital bringing the death toll from the accident to 11 people.
The Greek fighter jet was part of the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) and was taking part in a training exercise. It crashed during NATO training at the Los Llanos base in Albacete.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said two pilots were among the dead. The other eight were French citizens.
Speaking within hours of the tragedy, Rajoy said there were “many injured,” ten of them French and 11 Italians.
One witness to the crash said the accident happened very fast. “Just after taking-off on the runway, I noticed the plane turned right and hit the ground. It then exploded,” he said.
The Greek fighter jet was part of the Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) and was taking part in a training exercise. It crashed during NATO training at the Los Llanos base in Albacete.
A defence ministry statement said the F-16 lost power and crashed shortly after take off from Spain’s Los Llanos airbase.
The jet hit other aircraft parked at the base. Several pilots and mechanics were working in the immediate area of the crash.