Military Helicopters Collide During Parade Rehearsal, Killing All 10 People On Board
The accident occurred Tuesday, April 23, near the Royal Malaysian Navy base in the northern Perak state
Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images
Ten people have died following the crash of two military helicopters in Malaysia
The choppers were rehearsing in advance of a navy celebration in the northern Perak state when the accident occurred
The accident comes one month after another helicopter crash off the coast of Malaysia's Angsa Island
Ten people have died after two military helicopters collided in Malaysia, authorities said.
An AW139 maritime operation helicopter carrying seven crew members and a Fennec lightweight helicopter with three aboard were rehearsing in advance of the navy’s 90th-anniversary parade celebration at the Royal Malaysian Navy base in the northern Perak state when the accident occurred on Tuesday, April 23, the Associated Press and Reuters reported.
“All victims were confirmed dead on site,” a statement from the Malaysian Navy obtained by the AP said.
The victims’ remains were sent to a Lumut Naval Base military hospital for identification, the statement said.
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Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said all of the victims were under the age of 40, per Reuters.
Video of the crash shared by CNN, which first circulated on local media, showed the moment when the rotor on one of the choppers clipped the other helicopter, and then both plummeted to the ground.
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The AW139 — produced by a subsidiary of the Italian defense contractor Leonardo — crashed at a sports complex at the base while the other helicopter, manufactured by Airbus, hit a swimming pool, per the AP.
Following the crash, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim released a statement on X, CNN reported.
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"Condolences to all the families of the victims and prayers for strength to face this calamity," Ibrahim wrote.
The prime minister said that the navy is now investigating the accident.
The aviation tragedy comes one month after four people on a Malaysian Coast Guard helicopter were rescued by fishermen after a crash off the coast of Malaysia's Angsa Island during a training flight, the BBC reported.
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