Malaysia: 10 dead in mid-air collision between two Navy helicopters
Ten people were killed in Malaysia on Tuesday after two navy helicopters collided mid-air during a military rehersal for the Royal Malaysian Navy parade. The Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) released a statement which said that the incident took place at approximately 9:30 am (local time) on Tuesday during a fly-over exercise at the TLDM stadium in Lumut, Perak.
Helicopters involved in the accident identified
The helicopters involved in the accident were identified as a Fennec M502-6 and a HOM M503-3, as reported by Free Malaysia Today. The Fennec helicopter was operated by a team of three, while the other had seven crew members onboard. A video capturing the incident has been circulating on social media, showing one helicopter crashing into the tail of another before both descended rapidly to the ground.
Both helicopters had taken off from Padang Sitiawan
Following the collision, "all victims were confirmed dead on site and the remains were sent to TLDM Military Hospital for identification process," as stated by TLDM. The Fennec helicopter ended up in a swimming pool within the sports complex, while the other aircraft crashed onto stairs at the TLDM stadium. Both helicopters had taken off from Padang Sitiawan around 9:03 am local time prior to their collision.
Devastating visuals of helicopter clash in Malaysia
Authorities form team to investigate the accident
Authorities in the Malaysian Navy have formed a team to probe into the tragic incident. As per the preliminary report, the two aircraft left Padang Sitiawan around 9:03 am (local time) before colliding. It further stated that while the AW139 crashed onto the steps of the stadium of the Lumut base, the Fennec fell into the swimming pool of the base's sports complex.