A U.S. military plane crashed into a field in rural Mississippi on Monday, killing at least 16 people aboard and spreading debris for miles, officials said. Jones said the plane hit the ground behind some trees, and by the time he and others reached the crash site, fires were burning too intensely to approach the wreckage. The force of the crash nearly flattened the plane, Jones said. Jones said a man borrowed his cellphone to report to authorities that there were bodies across U.S. Highway 82, more than a mile from the crash site. Jones said firefighters tried to put out the fire at the main crash site but withdrew after an explosion forced them back.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 11, 2017 03:49 UTC