Sydney:

Three US Marines were killed in a plane crash off the coast of northern Australia on Sunday while transporting troops during a routine military exercise, officials said.

Five others were “taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital in a serious condition”, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin said in a press release.

He was among 23 Marines on board the MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft when it crashed, the statement said, adding that the cause of the crash is under investigation.

The accident happened on the remote Tiwi island at around 9.30 am (0130 GMT), the statement said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident “tragic”, saying Osprey was supporting Exercise Predators Run 2023 military exercises. No Australian personnel were involved in the accident, he said.

“Our focus as a government and as a Department of Defense is on the response to the incident and ensuring that every support and assistance is given at this difficult time,” the prime minister told a previously scheduled press conference in Western Australia.

Also read: Three killed in US firefighting helicopters collision

About 2,500 personnel from Australia, the US, the Philippines, Indonesia and East Timor were participating in the exercise.

The US and Australia, a key ally in the Pacific, have been increasing military cooperation in recent years in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

“Australian and American personnel have stood side by side for more than a century,” Albanese and Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.

“This incident is a reminder of the importance of the service performed by our personnel and those of our partner countries.”

Last month, four Australian soldiers were killed during a major bilateral exercise when their helicopter crashed into the sea off the coast of Queensland.