All 8 People on Board Presumed Dead After U.S. Air Force B-52 Crash

[Financial News] The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that all eight crew members aboard a United States Air Force (USAF) B-52 strategic bomber that crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California on the 15th local time are presumed dead.
In a statement, Edwards Air Force Base cited early signs from the investigation and said, "It appears there is no chance of survivors in this crash," indicating that the occupants may have died.
Emergency responders were immediately dispatched to the scene and are working to identify and recover all those on board. However, a base spokesperson declined to answer BBC's specific questions about the incident.
A massive column of black smoke rose from the crash site, visible to the naked eye from several kilometers away. Aerial footage shot by broadcast helicopters captured the charred and devastating scene, with smoke still billowing from the wreckage.
Shortly after the accident, the base provided additional details through its official X account. It said, "We have fully closed the runway for now, and all aircraft scheduled to land at the base are being diverted to other airfields."
It also announced, "To allow the unit to stop all other duties and focus entirely on emergency response and rescue operations, we are suspending all visitor badge issuance to civilian visitors until further notice."
The crashed B-52 is a long-range strategic bomber that has served as a backbone of U.S. military power since the Cold War in the 1950s, and it remains a key asset of the USAF. A large-scale military investigation is expected to follow to determine the cause of the crash.
jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-jun Reporter