23 US Marines natukoy nang lahat pagkatapos ng insidente ng pagbagsak ng isang aircraft sa Australia
A Care Flight helicopter is seen on the tarmac of the Darwin International Airport in Darwin on August 27, 2023, as rescue work is in progress to transport those injured in the US Osprey military aircraft crash at a remote island north of Australia’s mainland. – Three US Marines died on August 27 after an Osprey aircraft crashed on a remote tropical island north of Australia during war games, US military officials said. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)
Natukoy nang lahat ang 23 US Marines na lulan ng isang military aircraft na bumagsak sa northern Australia, habang patuloy namang inaalam ng mga imbestigador ang sanhi ng aksidente na ikinasawi ng tatlo katao at malubhang ikinasugat ng limang iba pa.
Ang Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft ay bumagsak sa Melville Island, sa hilaga ng Darwin nitong Linggo ng umaga, habang nagsasagawa ng isang routine military exercise para sa locally based troops.
Kinumpirma ng mga awtoridad na 15 marines na hindi namatay o malubhang nasaktan ang natukoy na. Ilan sa mga ito ay nagtamo lamang ng minor injuries at ang ilan naman ay hindi nasaktan.
Naglunsad na ng imbestigasyon ang mga kinauukulan sa naging sanhi ng pagbagsak.
Kabilang sa air traffic control broadcasts mula sa Darwin airport ang komunikasyon mula sa crash site na nagsasabi ng tungkol sa maitim na usok at “sunog.”
Sinabi ni Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy sa local media, na ang mga emergency responder ay natulungan sa kanilang “initial efforts” sa pamamagitan ng lokasyon ng isang kalapit na airstrip.
Aniya, “We were quite fortunate having that airstrip close by to the crash site… the ability to land in close proximity to the crash site and the speed of the assistance resulted in some casualties being treated more quickly and probably saved some lives.”
Sinabi pa ni Murphy, “The site is a ‘heavy bushland,’ some rescuers came by air and some were able to use a four-wheel drive, although it was ‘a long process,’ probably a lot of walking as well. It was just a really big effort from everyone that attended there and coordinated the rescue response just to care for those who were injured.”
Ang Northern Australia ay naging isang mahalagang staging ground para sa US military sa mga nagdaang taon, dahil nagtutulungan ang Washington at Canberra upang hadlangan ang paghahari ng China sa Asia-Pacific region.
Sinabi ni Australian defence minister Richard Marles, “The loss of life would be felt by US and Australian forces. These are very tight-knit communities.”
Pinuri naman ni US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin ang namatay na marines sa pagsasabing, “they served our country with courage and pride, and my thoughts and prayers are with their families today, with the other troops who were injured in the crash, and with the entire (US Marine Corps) family.”
Ang Osprey aircraft ay may hindi magandang kasaysayan, dahil nasangkot ito sa serye ng mga pagbagsak na nagbunga ng kamatayan sa nakalipas na mga taon.
Ang tilt-rotor aircraft ay maaaring lumapag at mag-take off na gaya sa isang eroplano, o vertically gaya ng sa isang helicopter.
Noong isang taon, apat na US Marines ang namatay nang bumagsak ang sinasakyan nilang V-22B Osprey aircraft sa Norway habang nagsasagawa ng NATO training exercises.
At noong 2000 ay 19 na Marines ang namatay nang bumagsak ang sinasakyan nilang Osprey habang nagsasagawa ng drills sa Arizona.
