



A huge fireball was seen erupting over a Malaysian airport after a Boeing jet smashed into the ground just seconds after take-off.
Footage from the southeast Asian nation's Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport appears to show sparks flying from the jet as it left the runway.
The plane then made its way into the air before further clips emerged of a fireball illuminating the night sky.
The two pilots on board the jet, a Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, thankfully ejected from the cockpit just moments before it crashed.
Footage from Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport appears to show sparks flying from the jet as it left the runway
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Local police later confirmed the pair were immediately rushed to Tengku Ampuam Afzan Hospital nearby.
The fighter plane was part of the Royal Malaysian Air Force fleet.
The RMAF then said in a statement: "We would like to inform you of an accident involving an F/A-18D Hornet at 9.05pm, August 21 at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport in Kuantan.
"We are taking immediate action and will update on the latest development."
One witness told local news agency Bernama: "After the explosion, I could see flames in the airport and smoke billowing.
"Initially there was a fire burning, but then there was an explosion and the blaze got intense."
Other onlookers said the dramatic crash sounded like a missile strike - and was heard for miles around.