TOKYO, 1. Jan (FMT) -- Japanese aircraft and boats were searching today for two crew from a fighter jet that is believed to have crashed after taking off a day earlier, a government spokesman said.

Part of the F-15 jet has been found, but authorities are still searching for the two people on board, top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

The jet, which was on a training mission, disappeared from radar shortly after it took off late yesterday afternoon, Matsuno said.

It disappeared about 5km west-northwest of the Komatsu airbase in central Ishikawa region, off the Sea of Japan.

“As part of the fuselage of the fighter jet was discovered in the area, the fighter jet is believed to have crashed,” Matsuno said.