An accident involving two Rafale fighter jets occurred on August 14 in Meurthe-et-Moselle, France, near Colombey-les-Belles.

The incident took place around 12:30 PM while the jets were returning from a refueling mission in Germany.

The collision occurred in the air during operations from the Saint-Dizier Air Base.

Authorities have established blockades on all roads between Colombey-les-Belles, Autreville, and Harmonville to facilitate search efforts.

Search efforts are ongoing in the Colombey-les-Belles area, with police and rescue teams assisting the Air Force.

The French Air Force has mobilized 54 firefighters and 200 gendarmes, along with helicopters and drones, to search for the missing pilots.

One pilot successfully ejected before the crash and was found safe, while search operations are ongoing for the second crew, which includes an instructor and a student pilot.

The missing pilots are an instructor and a student pilot from the Escadron de transformation Rafale at the Saint-Dizier Air Base.

French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, confirmed the safety of one pilot and thanked the armed forces and gendarmes for their efforts.

President Emmanuel Macron expressed condolences on social media, stating that the nation shares the grief of the families and comrades of the deceased pilots.

The military has launched both a technical and administrative investigation to determine the cause of the collision.

Accidents involving Rafale jets are rare, with the last significant incident occurring in 2009.