Two helicopters collided mid-air on Tuesday during an exercise in preparation for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s celebrations, killing all ten crew members on board.
The incident took place at Lomot Naval Base in the western state of Perak at 9:32 a.m. local time, the navy said in a statement.
The statement added that the crew members aboard the helicopter “died at the scene and were sent to Lomouth Army Base Hospital for identification.”
In a video of the incident, it can be seen that several helicopters were moving in a formation when one of them collided with the rotor of another and fell to the ground.
The helicopters Fennec M502-6 and HOMM 503-3 crashed during a flyover training exercise for the 90th Navy Day celebrations.
According to The Star, seven crew members were on board the HOM which crashed on the steps of the Navy Stadium and the Fennec had three crew members on board which fell into the swimming pool of the sports complex.
In the viral video, pieces of helicopters can be seen flying through the air and crashing near an open field where the navy had gathered for a rehearsal.
The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department rushed to the scene at 9:50 a.m. local time after receiving a report of the accident.
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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed his condolences to the bereaved families. He said that the nation is mourning the accident of two helicopters at Lumot TLDM base today. This tragedy has had a profound impact on the families of the Armed Forces of Malaysia (ATM) and is a great loss to the country.’
In a post on X, the prime minister said, “I was informed that an immediate investigation will be conducted by the Ministry of Defence, particularly the TLDM, to ascertain the causes of the accident.”
The Navy says that an inquiry board will be formed to find out the reasons behind the incident.
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2024-08-18 08:02:18
