Ten people were killed – eight of whom were French nationals – and several injured after a Greek fighter plane crashed upon takeoff during NATO training in Spain on Monday, Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy said, reports FRANCE 24.
The F-16 crashed about 3:20pm (1420 GMT) as it took off at a training centre in Albacete, 260km (160 miles) southeast of the capital Madrid.
Television footage showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the crash site, as sirens wailed in the background.
“The plane, part of the Tactical Leadership Programme of NATO, was carrying out a (training) exercise when during take-off the plane lost power, crashing into the parking area for planes, crashing into various planes that were parked there,” Spain’s defence ministry said in a statement.
The ministry gave no further details about the cause of the crash. Defence minister Pedro Morenes was due to travel to the scene.
Two pilots on board were among the dead. Other pilots and mechanics were underneath the plane in the parking area when it crashed, Spanish media reported.
France’s defence ministry initially reported that one French citizen had been killed and five seriously injured, but Rajoy later said that there were eight French victims among the dead.