Two French Rafale military jets collided mid-air over Eastern France on Wednesday, leaving at least one pilot missing along with a possible passenger, though another pilot survived the incident, according to French officials and a media report.
"One of the pilots has been found; he's safe and sound. Research is still ongoing," French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said in a post on X on Wednesday, referring to rescue operations.
French media reported that rescuers were looking for a missing flying student who was in one of the planes, as well as the other missing pilot.
"The local operational center has been activated to help the armed forces; please stay away from the area," the Meurthe-et-Moselle prefecture posted on X.