A military aircraft from a Marine unit based in Miramar, San Diego, has crashed in California, leaving officials to believe all five passengers are dead.
The MV-22B Osprey crashed in Imperial County near Highway 78 and the town of Glamis - 30 miles north of the Mexican border, and 150 miles east of San Diego.
The crash was confirmed by Naval Air Facility El Centro, 30 miles from the crash site.
'We can confirm that an aircraft belonging to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing crashed near Glamis, CA,' they stated on their Facebook page.
3rd MAW has units based in Miramar, Yuma, Pendleton and Twentynine Palms.
'Military and civilian first responders are on site.
'Contrary to initial reports, there was no nuclear material on board the aircraft. More information will be made available as we receive it.'
Officials believe at least five people were aboard at the time of the crash.
Investigators have presumed all passengers are dead, according to FOX 5 reporter Malik Earnest.
Footage from News 11 Yuma showed military personnel and first responders gathering in the desert, with a helicopter flying off to the crash site. Smoke could be faintly seen on the horizon.
First responders and military personnel are seen arriving at the site of Wednesday's crash
A helicopter is seen on Wednesday taking off near Glamis, to aid the rescue effort
The aircraft crashed on military land in a desert area 30 miles from the border with Mexico
The MV-22B Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft, built by Boeing.
Boeing say it is 'a joint service multirole combat aircraft' which has both the vertical performance of a helicopter and the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.
'With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter,' Boeing explain.
'Once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight.
'This combination results in global reach capabilities that allow the V-22 to fill an operational niche unlike any other aircraft.'
They have been in use since 2007.
U.S. Navy Blue Angels perform at Naval Air Facility El Centro on March 13, 2021. The base is only around 30 miles from the site of the crash
Glamis is famed for the Algodones Dunes, 30 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. This is where the crash occurred
Naval Air Facility El Centro is around 30 miles from the crash site
This is developing story. More to come
