F-16 jet crashes in Arizona: US military

Washington: A US F-16 fighter jet crashed late Wednesday in Arizona, reportedly rupturing a gas line and sparking a large fire, officials said.

Emergency crews rushed to the site of the crash about eight miles (13 kilometers) north of Douglas near the border with Mexico, local fire officials said.

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona tweeted that the F-16 went down around 0300 GMT near Douglas local airport, and the status of the pilot is "unknown at this time".

The crash appeared to have ruptured a gas line and started a large fire, The Arizona Republic reported. Images on Twitter showed multiple fires illuminating brush.

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is some 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from Douglas.