Malaysia’s rescue agency confirmed that all 10 crew members onboard were killed when two military helicopters collided and crashed during a training session on Tuesday.
According to Suhaimy Mohamad Suhail, senior operations commander from the fire and rescue department, “The two helicopters collided during flight training, and all 10 victims onboard have been confirmed dead by the medical officers.”
Videos circulated online depicted multiple helicopters flying low in formation over the Lumut naval stadium during a flypast rehearsal for the navy fleet’s open day celebrations in May.
During the rehearsal, one of the helicopters was observed clipping the rear rotor of another helicopter, resulting in both aircraft spiraling into a tailspin and subsequently crashing.
The rescue agency stated that the two helicopters involved in the incident were a Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec and an AgustaWestland AW139.
Photos depicted the heavily mangled Eurocopter model surrounded by rescue personnel and debris on the naval base stadium track, while the AgustaWestland helicopter crashed at the naval base’s swimming pool area.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, stating that “the nation mourns the heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy.
“I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, especially TLDM (Royal Malaysian Navy), to find the cause of the crash.”
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