We learn with sadness the death of Capt Sebastien Mabire and Lt Matthis Laurens in an air accident in a Rafale training mission, Macron posted on X. The nation shares the grief of their families and brothers in arms at airbase 113 in Saint-Dizier in eastern France.
It was not immediately clear what caused the collision that authorities said occurred over Colombey-les-Belles, a town in northeastern France. The military authorities will report on the causes of the accident, said the local prefecture.
Accidents involving Rafale jets are rare. In December 2007, a Rafale jet crashed near Neuvic in southwestern France. Investigators concluded that the pilot had become disoriented.
We heard a loud noise, around 12.30pm (10.30 GMT), Patrice Bonneaux, deputy mayor of Colombey-les-Belles, told AFP. It was not the usual sonic boom of a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier.
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