Three people have tragically died after an RFS air tanker crashed in the Snowy Mountain region of NSW on Thursday.
The NSW Rural Fire Service lost contact with the C-130 Hercules in the Snowy Monaro area just before 1.30pm.
The plane had been contracted by the RFS to undertake bushfire relief work for several years.
A number of firefighters and crew are on the scene.
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said it took “some time” to locate the wreckage which is surrounded by difficult terrain and has “terrible visibility”.
“Tragically there appear to be no survivors as a result of the crash,” he said.
Early reports suggest only the plane’s tail section is intact, while the remainder has broken up on impact.
Witnesses in the area say they saw a “ball of fire” as the aircraft reportedly hit the ground.
The C-130 Hercules Large Air Tanker is the largest aircraft in the RFS fleet with 15,000-litre capacity.
This story first appeared on 7News and has been republished here with permission.
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