Updated 06:25 | Published at 06:02
An American military aircraft has crashed in connection with a military exercise outside Darwin in northern Australia, Australian Sky News reports.
It is a so-called tiltrotor aircraft of the V-22 Osprey type. About 20 US Marines are said to have been on board when the craft crashed around 11am on Sunday, local time.
It is unclear if anyone was injured. But several people have been rescued in connection with a search operation near Melville Island, writes AFP with reference to ABC.
The Australian Defense Force confirms the accident in a statement and writes that the focus is now on the rescue effort.
In addition to the United States, militaries from Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines, among others, are participating in the exercise.