A Greek F-16 fighter jet crashed into other planes on the ground during NATO training in southeastern Spain Monday, killing at least 10 people, Spain's Defense Ministry said.
Another 13 people were injured in the incident at the Los Llanos base, which sent flames and a plume of black smoke billowing into the air, the ministry said in a statement. Seven were in serious condition, one person was treated and released from hospital, while the conditions of the five others were not disclosed.
10 dead and 13 injured in #F-16 crash in Los Llanos airbase #Spain— Ministerio Defensa (@Defensagob) January 26, 2015
Most of the victims were not believed to be Spaniards but NATO staff from member countries that participated in the program, according to a Defense Ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of ministry rules preventing him from being named.
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The two-seat jet was taking off but lost thrust and crashed into an area of the base where other planes involved in the NATO exercise were parked, the ministry said in a statement.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he was "deeply saddened by the crash of a Greek fighter jet at the Los Llanos base in Spain, which has caused many casualties."
He did not specify their nationalities in a statement, but called the crash "a tragedy that affects the whole NATO family."
Grave accidente aéreo #Albacete, un F-16 griego participante de un curso del TLP. 2 fallecidos y 10 heridos graves pic.twitter.com/sbPwFWHGKB— tualbacete (@tualbacete) January 26, 2015
The Spanish ministry said the jet that crashed was taking part in a NATO training exercise called the Tactical Leadership Program.
The 10 NATO countries that participate in TLP are Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States.
Tragic crash of #Greek fighter jet at base in #Spain affects whole #NATO family http://t.co/chXk8cFL95— NATO (@NATO) January 26, 2015
Spain's Defense Ministry did not immediately disclose the nationalities of those participating at Los Llanos on Monday.
According to a U.S. Air Force Website, TLP was formed in 1978 by NATO's Central Region air forces to advance their tactical capabilities and produce tactics, techniques and procedures that improve multi-national tactical air operations.
The first TLP course was located at Fuerstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany. It has been based at the Spanish base since June 2009.
The Los Llanos base is near the southeastern Spanish city of Albacete, about a two and a half hour drive from Madrid.