AN F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 tanker plane belonging to the U.S. Marines collided and crashed off Japan’s western coast early Thursday morning, with five of the seven crew members still missing, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.

One of those rescued by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) was in the F/A-18 fighter jet and was taken to the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in western Japan, where he is said to be in a stable condition, Japanese officials said.

The other rescued crew member is assumed to have been taken to the same facility, although his condition has not yet been made clear.

According to officials, there were two crew members aboard the fighter jet and five crew members aboard the tanker plane when the collision occurred at around

1:40 a.m.

The ministry said the planes, based at the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in western Japan, were conducting a routine training operation when the collision occurred around 100 km south of Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture.

There is speculation that the F/A-18 fighter jet was refueling mid-air when the collision with the KC-130 tanker took place, although there has been no official confirmation of this as yet.

The Japanese Defense Ministry is currently trying to ascertain more details from the U.S. forces in Japan about the accident, but has confirmed that no civilian ships have reported being affected by the incident. 

(Xinhua)