Rescue operations were underway yesterday for five US marines missing after two American military aircraft crashed during a refuelling operation off the coast of Japan, the Japanese defence minister said. One crew member has already been rescued and is thought to be in a stable condition, Takeshi Iwaya told reporters. A spokesman for the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) said another crew member had been found but there were no immediate details of the marine’s condition. “The Marine is being transported to a local hospital for evaluation,” the US military said in a statement.

“US military and the Japanese Self-Defense planes and vessels are searching for those still missing... I hope all the members will be rescued safely as soon as possible,” Iwaya added. The marines were conducting “regularly scheduled training” when the crash occurred around 2:00 am local time, the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement. The crew member rescued had been in the fighter jet, the minister confirmed.