Ten Malaysian military personnel on board two naval helicopters died after their choppers collided mid-air over a naval base in Lumut, Perak on Tuesday (Apr 23).
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) said in a statement that an HOM maritime operations helicopter and a Fennec helicopter crashed at 9.32am.
According to a message sent by the navy and seen by CNA, the helicopters took off at 9.03am. The HOM helicopter crashed on the steps of a stadium, while the Fennec helicopter crashed into a pool, the message said.
“All victims confirmed dead on the scene and sent to the Lumut Navy base armed forces hospital for process of identification,” the navy said, adding that seven crew members were on board the HOM helicopter, with another three on the Fennec helicopter.
When contacted by CNA, Perak police chief Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri confirmed that 10 people had died.
The training was part of rehearsals for the 90th Navy Day parade.
“The RMN will establish an investigation board to identify the cause of the incident,” it said.
Defence Minister Khaled Nordin told local media that the helicopters were training for the third time for the parade.
Mr Khaled said there were no other victims involved as the helicopters crashed into a pool and an empty stadium.
Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-helicopter-crash-10-dead-navy-training-lumut-4285051
