LEFLORE CO., MS (WMC) - The sixteen people killed in a Marine Corps airplane crash in Mississippi on Monday afternoon came from Cherry Point, North Carolina.
Initial reports suggested the plane came from Memphis, Tennessee. It now appears the plane landed in Memphis, but did not originate from the Bluff City.
The KC-130T crashed in Leflore County after investigators said it likely exploded in mid-air. Debris was found on both sides of Highway 82 around the crash scene.
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Marine officials confirmed 15 Marines and one Navy Corpsman died in the crash.
The Marines on the flight were members of VMGR-452, a Marine reserve stationed in New York.
The plane was set to carry ammunition, weapons, and personnel to Naval Air Field El Centro, California.
The crash is currently under investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Emergency Management Association, and other local and regional agencies are on the scene.
Major Andrew Aranda, public affairs officer with the Marine Corps, said there is no reason to believe foul play was involved at this point.
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point was commissioned on July 19,1941. The facility is called Cunningham Field in honor of the Marine Corps first aviator. It occupies more than 29,000 acres.
It has played integral roles in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm. Cherry Point Marines and pilots have also taken part in missions and operations in Afghanistan.
The station's runway station is large enough that it has served as an alternative emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle launches out of Cape Canaveral.
Officials are expected to provide new details on the crash Tuesday morning at around 10:30 a.m. Keep up with WMCActionNews5.com to watch that news conference live as it happens.
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