iStock/Thinkstock(JACKSON, Miss.) — A military transport plane crashed in Mississippi on Monday, killing at least 16 people aboard, authorities said.
The Marine Corps KC-130 aircraft crashed in LeFlore County, Mississippi — located about 85 miles north of Jackson — at around 4 p.m. local time, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
Speaking at a press conference late Monday, LeFlore County Emergency Management Director Fred Randle said the crash scene was still being investigated. The FBI was also on the scene.
Randle said the EMA would hold another press conference on Tuesday afternoon. He said the cause of the crash was unknown and further details would come following next of kin notifications.
The Marine Corps, which said it operated the plane, announced the crash via Twitter at about 8:30 p.m. ET. In a statement Tuesday, it said the flight originated from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina.
“The cause of the crash is unknown at this time; the incident is under investigation,” the statement added.
In the statement, the Marine Corps confirmed 16 service members had died in the crash.
“The identities of the service members whose lives were lost in this tragic accident are being withheld to allow time for their loved ones to be notified,” it said.
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