Five missing after US military planes crash off Japan

Rescue operations were underway Thursday for five US marines missing after two American military aircraft crashed during a refueling operation off the coast of Japan, the Japanese defense 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,” Iwaya added.