American bomber crashes in Guam

US Air Force confirms A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after take-off at a US base in Guam, a US territory in the Western Pacific

19 May 2016, 8:17am

1 min read

A B-52 bomber crashed shortly after take off, but fortunately all on board were unharmed

The US Air Force said that all seven crew members, who were on a routine training mission, had safely left the aircraft after the incident at 23:30 CET on Wednesday at Andersen Air Force Base.

The bomber was deployed to the US island territory from North Dakota as part of the military's continuous presence in the Pacific.

Local newsrooms quoted the Guam governor's office as saying: "We assure the public this does not appear to be an attack."

The US Air Force also said that steps were being taken to minimise the environmental impact, without providing further details.

B-52s are still going strong after 60 years in service in the US military - from Vietnam to Afghanistan, their main function being to provide the US with immediate conventional and nuclear global strike capability.