TOKYO: A US military Osprey aircraft crashed into the ocean near Japan’s Yakushima island on Wednesday with eight people on board, Japan’s coast guard said.

A spokesperson for the coast guard said it had no further details of the incident including the safety of those onboard.

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The crash happened at around 2:47 p.m. local time, with local residents reporting the aircraft had fire blowing from its left engine as it fell into the sea, Japanese broadcaster MBC reported.

A spokesperson for US forces in Japan did not immediately have comment.