SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Nine people were aboard the military plane that crashed near the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport on Wednesday, Puerto Rican officials told The Associated Press.
Five people were confirmed dead but local officials said there are no apparent survivors, AP reported.
The Associated Press, citing a Georgia Air National Guard official, reports that all five on-board were killed. The AP also reports that the crew was on a mission to retire the 60-year-old plane.
Gena Bilbo with the Effingham County Sheriff's Office said the impact of the crash could take weeks to mitigate. She said the wreckage extends from the road to nearby railroad tracks.
“There were fires on the sides of the roads. The wreckage did go over the roadway,” she said.
As far as officials know, no cars were hit when the plane came down over the busy roadway.
"It was an absolute miracle,” Bilbo said.
“This is going to be a large impact and all we can do right now is try to mitigate it as best we can and say a prayer for the families involved,” she said.
The Air National Guard confirmed the plane was a C-130 that belonged to the Puerto Rico National Guard.
PHOTOS: Military plane crash confirmed in Savannah, Georgia
The Governor of Puerto Rico released a statement expressing his condolences saying "While we are waiting for more information regarding this unfortunate accident, my thoughts and those of Beatriz are with the families of the crew. They will receive our support and that of the National Guard of Puerto Rico in this process."
A statement from the Savannah Air National Guard said the plane was on a training missing.
"While performing a training mission, an United States C-130 “Hercules” cargo plane from Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed about 11:30 a.m. today near the Savannah Hilton Head International Airport with 5 people on board."
Governor Rosselló Nevares said the plane was in route to a mission in Arizona.
The plane came down at the intersection of Highway 21 at Crossgate Road. That area is closed indefinitely. The trains have also stopped running, those tracks lead to the major shipping port.
President Donald Trump has also tweeted an offer of thoughts and prayers for the victims of the crash.
Multiple federal, state and local agencies are involved in the investigation.
The Savannah International Airport said they are assisting with the response and encouraged customers to check with their airline to see if their flight has been impacted.
Another picture tweeted by the Savannah Professional Firefighters Association shows a close picture of the damage.
The names of the victims will be released pending notification of next-of-kin, officials said.
►Stay with 11Alive for updates on this breaking news story. Download the FREE 11Alive News app now in the iTunes store or on Google Play.
