3 killed when a large air tanker crashed in Australia while attempting to put out bushfires

• New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed in a press conference on Thursday that three crew members died after a large air tanker crashed in the Snowy Monaro region of New South Wales, Australia.
• NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons confirmed in a press conference that all three people on board the aircraft were US residents.
• A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority told Business Insider that the aircraft was a C-130 Hercules operated by Coulson Aviation. The cause of the crash is still unclear.
• Australia is currently battling its worst bushfire season on record. As of Thursday, a bushfire in the Snowy Monaro region of New South Wales burned over 93,000 hectares (229,000 acres).
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed in a press conference on Thursday that three crew members died after a large air tanker crashed in the Snowy Monaro region of New South Wales, Australia.

New South Wales Rural Fire Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons confirmed in a press conference Thursday that all three people on board the aircraft were US residents.

A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) told Business Insider that the aircraft was a C-130 Hercules operated by Coulson Aviation. The cause of the crash is still unclear.

The aircraft was American registered and was brought to Australia in August.

The CASA spokesperson said that there was no indication that anything unusual was happening with the aircraft prior to the crash.

Fitzsimmons said parts of aircraft had been found, and that rescue efforts took "quite some time."

"It's impacted heavily with the ground and initial reports are that there was a large fireball associated with the impact of the plane as it hit the ground," he said. "It is still an active fire ground and it was very difficult to locate the wreckage."

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service ini tally said in a tweet that it was investigating the incident after it lost contact with the large aircraft.

The four-engine turboprop was originally designed as a medevac or cargo transport aircraft but is commonly used in aerial firefighting.

The state of New South Wales has been hit particularly badly by bushfires this year. As of Thursday, there were over 100 fires burning in the region.

As of Thursday, the Adaminaby Complex Bushfire was ripping through The Snowy Monaro region in southern New South Wales. The fire has burnt over 93,000 hectares (229,000 acres) and is being controlled.

At least 28 people have been killed since the season started in September, and over 1 billion animals are estimated to have died.

Earlier this month, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a $20 million federal grant to lease four firefighting aircraft, as Australia battles its worst bushfire season on record. Last week, two large firefighting aircraft arrived in Australia from the US to help with relief efforts.