UPDATE 2 - 3 US Marines killed in helicopter crash during exercise in Australia

UPDATES WITH CASUALTIES; REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE AND DECK; OMITS EARLIER SUPERCEDED STATEMENTS BY AUSTRALIAN MILITARY

By Gozde Bayar and Aamir Latif

At least three US Marines were killed and several others injured on Sunday when a helicopter crashed during an exercise off a northern Australian island, military officials said.

"Three have been confirmed deceased while five others were transported to Royal Darwin Hospital in serious condition," the US military said in a statement.

The V-22 Osprey with 23 US Marines on board crashed off the island of Melville, part of the Tiwi Islands.

Five Marines have been rescued from the crash site and flown to a hospital in Darwin in serious condition,” the statement added.

Australian police said they were triaging the rest of the injured crew at the scene.

Reports so far suggest Australian forces were not involved, Australia’s Defense Ministry said in an email. In addition to the U.S. and Australia, the militaries of Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor also take part in the exercises.

It said the accident occurred on Melville Island, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the Australian mainland, during the Predators Run exercise.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the accident.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the crash as a "regrettable incident."

"Our focus as a government and as the Department of Defense is very much on incident response and on making sure that every support and assistance is given at this difficult time," he said.

Some 150 U.S. Marines are based in Darwin, with thousands coming through the posting every year.