Breaking: U.S. Air Force B-52 Bomber Crashes After Take-Off

• The United States has been thrown into another moment of grief as eight people reportedly died in the Air Force B-52 bomber crash
• It was reported that the aircraft crashed soon after taking off at the Edwards Air Force Base in southern California on Monday, June 15
• BBC, Col James Hayes, the spokesperson of the base, disclosed that the casualties include military, government civilians and government contractors

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Two Boeing employees and six others have reportedly died following the crash of a US Air Force B-52 bomber. The incident happened soon after the aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base in southern California.

The incident, which happened on Monday, June 15, at about 11:20 local time (19:20 GMT), occurred during the time that the aircraft was on a routine test mission. From miles away, one could see a huge plume of black smoke in the air.

US explains the B-52 bomber crash

According to the BBC, Col James Hayes, the spokesperson of the base, said that the aircraft was carrying a "mixed crew", which included military, civilians and government contractors. He explained that the earlier indications have shown that the crash was not survivable.

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He noted that the next of kin of the crew were being reached out to and their names would be mentioned in 24 hours' time. According to Hayes, the crash was contained within the runway of the Edwards Air Force Base, where operations have been temporarily grounded.

Hayes further explained that the B-52 had been supporting the radar modernisation programme of the base, crashed immediately it took off and burst into flames.

Reactions as a US B-52 bomber crashes

However, the news of the incident has started generating reactions from Americans. Below are some of their comments:

Ahmad expressed grief about the incident:

"If confirmed, this is the kind of incident that immediately shifts from a military story to a human one. Right now, the only thing that truly matters is the condition of the crew and rescue personnel on the ground. A B-52 is one of the most iconic aircraft ever built, but every headline like this is first and foremost about the people involved."

Jessie Hermosillo posited that the aircraft is old:

"It's high time we scrap the B-52, and it's not alone. The U-2 and KC-135 are the same vintage, all designed in the 1950s, and are still flying. Retire the whole Eisenhower-era fleet and build for this century."

Alli Olabisi

"Good riddance to bad rubbish. One less aeroplane to drop bombs on innocent school children and their teachers. I am glad nobody d1£d in the crash, though."

Sanjeev expressed worries about the incident:

"Pains to see loss of lives due to mishaps like these. There was another incident that happened yesterday in India that resulted in the loss of 5 personnel. Not sure when we will have foolproof technology that can avert these incidents."

See the video of the incident on X here:

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