An AV-8B Harrier jet from the Yuma air base in Arizona has crashed into homes in the California desert, about 90 miles east of San Diego.

TV footage showed at least one home on fire on a residential street in the city of Imperial, following the crash on Wednesday evening.

The AV-8B Harrier jet from the Yuma air base in Arizona has crashed into homes in the California desert

The pilot of the military jet ejected safely, and has been taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The US Marine Corps said eight homes had been evacuated but no-one on the ground was hurt.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash, it said in a statement.

It was the second crash in a month of a Harrier jet from the Yuma air base in Arizona, AP news agency reported.

On May 9, a pilot ejected safely before his plane crashed in a remote desert area near the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, south of Phoenix. No-one was hurt.

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