Eleven people have now died as a result of a Greek fighter jet that crashed during a NATO training exercise in southeastern Spain, the Spanish defense ministry announced.
10 morts en estavellar-se un F-16 grec a Albacete http://t.co/U6j5H9L7ME Vía @levante_emv
Two pilots aboard the Greek F-16 fighter jet were killed Monday, along with eight French air force members on the ground and the French airman who succumbed to severe burns on Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement.
L'armée de l'air en deuil. Message du général Mercier, CEMAA "Notre cohésion est notre force" http://t.co/7qS7TJwTGc
More than a dozen people were injured in the crash, which took place shortly after the F-16 took off from the Los Llanos airbase in Albacete, about 260 kilometers southeast of the capital, Madrid.
A Greek F-16 crashes soon after taking off during a NATO exercise in Spain's 'Los Llanos' (Albacete) airbase
Twenty French and Italian citizens were injured and four remained hospitalized in Madrid as they underwent treatment for severe burns, the Associated Press reported.
The French airman who died Tuesday was not immediately identified.
In a statement Tuesday, French Air Force General Denis Mercier expressed his condolences to the victims' families and praised their service.
"I assure them of the full support of the Air Force in this tragic ordeal," he said.
Meanwhile, an investigation into what caused the jet to lose power remained ongoing.
"The plane, part of the Tactical Leadership Programme of NATO, was carrying out a (training) exercise when during the take-off the plane lost power, crashing into the parking area for planes, crashing into various planes that were parked there," Spain's defense ministry said in a statement obtained by Reuters.
On Twitter, the ministry said emergency crews were at the scene to assess the damage, extinguish the fire, and check for casualties.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he was "deeply saddened" by the crash.
"This is a tragedy which affects the whole NATO family," Stoltenberg said in a statement. "I express my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones and the nations of those who lost their lives, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured."
