Ten dead as Navy helicopters collide mid-air in Malaysia
Ten individuals lost their lives following a mid-air collision between two navy helicopters during a military rehearsal for a Royal Malaysian Navy parade.
Video footage from local media depicts one helicopter’s rotor grazing the other before both aircraft plummeted to the ground.
The tragedy unfolded at 09:30 local time (02:30 BST) in Lumut, Malaysia, the site of a navy base.
No survivors have been reported.
The Royal Malaysian Navy confirmed, “All victims were pronounced deceased at the scene, and their remains were transported to the [Lumut] Military Hospital for identification.”
A committee will be established to investigate the incident’s cause, according to the Navy.
The crash site for one helicopter, a HOM M503-3 carrying seven occupants, appears to be a running track.
The other helicopter, a Fennec M502-6 with three individuals aboard, crashed into a nearby swimming pool.
The state’s fire and rescue department was notified of 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.
Map
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.
