Malaysian Navy helicopter collides in midair, 10 killed

Ten crew members were killed when two Malaysian Navy helicopters collided mid-air and later crashed on the ground on Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported.

In a statement, the Royal Malaysian Navy said the two aircraft collided on Tuesday morning while they were taking part in aerial training in North Lumut, where the navy is headquartered.

According to Al Jazeera, one helicopter, an AgustaWestland AW139 Maritime Operations helicopter (HOM), crashed on the stadium steps at the complex, while the other, a Eurocopter Fennec, fell near a swimming pool.

According to the Navy, there were three crew members on board Eurocopter and seven on Agusta. All crew members were confirmed dead at the crash site.

The incident occurred when the helicopter crews were practicing for the Navy Day celebrations starting on May 3 next week.

The Malaysian Armed Forces will form a board of inquiry to investigate the helicopter collision. Armed forces chief Mohammad Ab Rehman expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin is expected to visit the crash site. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim described the collision as a “heartbreaking tragedy” and confirmed that there would be an investigation.