US Fire Fighting Water Tanker Aircraft Crashes In A Ball Of Flames In Australia As It Tackled Fires

Three American flight crew are dead after a US assisting water tanker plane crashed in a blaze of flames while tackling bushfires in New South Wales Australia.

The state’s Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, said: “Tragically, there appears to be no survivors as a result of the crash down in the Snowy Monaro area.

“The plane impacted heavily with the ground and initial reports are that there was a large fireball associated with the impact of the plane as it hit the ground. There is no indication at this stage of what’s caused the accident.”

Canberra Airport in the Australian Capital shut down today because of nearby raging bushfires, as residents to the south of the Capital told to take cover at all costs.

The fires broke out  in Canberra yesterday but strong winds and high temperatures caused conditions in the city to get far worse.