VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WTVR) – Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms asked the public to stay away from the area near where a Navy jet crashed Friday afternoon.
"The first thing that I saw are partially demolished apartment buildings," said Sessoms. "We have been blessed that we haven't found anyone inside those buildings."
However, some buildings are destroyed, so crews cannot get inside to check for victims because of unsafe conditions.
"My prayers are that I hope fatalities are limited," said Sessoms. "I saw two buildings that are partially destroyed – and there are buildings that are basically leveled."
An emotional Sessoms said emergency crews are working as a team and that everything is going smoothly.
He also praised the crews from the city, Navy and cooperation between a number of agencies. Plus, citizens also jumped in to pull the pilot of the jet to safety, get folks out of the buildings and even help fire crews lift hoses to get closer to the scene.
Still, witnessing the scene of utter destruction left Sessoms shaken.
"I have never seen anything like this before and I hope to never see anything like it again," said Sessoms.
