Ten dead as two helicopters crash during military rehearsal in Malaysia

Two Malaysian navy helicopters collided in mid-air as they flew in formation during a rehearsal for a military parade, killing all 10 crew on board.

One of the aircraft clipped the rotor of the other before the two crashed into the ground, footage published on local media showed.

The incident took place at 09:30 local time (02:30 BST) in the Malaysian town of Lumut, which is home to a Royal Malaysian Navy base.

There are no known survivors.

“All victims were confirmed dead on site and the remains were sent to the [Lumut] Military Hospital for identification,” said the Royal Malaysian Navy.

It added that it would form a committee to investigate the cause of the incident.

One of the helicopters, a HOM M503-3 with seven people on board, is believed to have crashed onto a running track.

The other, a Fennec M502-6 carrying the other three victims, crashed into a swimming pool nearby.

The state’s fire and rescue department said it was alerted to the incident at 09:50 local time (01:50 GMT).

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “the nation mourns the heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy”.

“Condolences to all the families of the victims and prayers for strength to face this calamity,” he said.

In March, a Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashed into the sea off Malaysia’s Angsa Island during a training flight.

The pilot, co-pilot and two passengers on board were found and rescued by fishermen.

Source: BBC
-Agencies