In a tragic incident, two Malaysian military helicopters collided mid-air during a training session, leading to the death of all 10 persons aboard.
The sickening catastrophe occurred on Tuesday, April 23 at a naval base in Lumut, Perak state, northern Malaysia. "All victims were confirmed dead on site," said the navy's statement. The casualties have been moved to a hospital for identification.
The incident, which occurred at 9.30am, saw one of the helicopters crash into a running track with seven people onboard, while the second helicopter, with three people onboard, crashed into a swimming pool.
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One of the disaster-stricken aircraft was an AW139 maritime operation helicopter carrying seven crew members. This model is built by AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence firm Leonardo.
Meanwhile, the other ill-fated aircraft was a Fennec lightweight helicopter, developed by European defence conglomerate Airbus, with three personnel on board.
According to local news reports, the AW139 plummeted onto the sports complex within the naval base, whereas the Fennec crash-landed into a neighbouring swimming pool. An investigation into what led to this horrific accident has been announced by the navy.
Footage shows fragments of the helicopter splintering off, moments after a group of the choppers burst dramatically over the tree line. Fire and rescue services rushed to the scene, but there are no known survivors.
Shocking images have shown the aftermath, the wrecks of at least one of the helicopters barely recognisable from the vehicle it had been just hours before.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said: "The nation mourns the heart-wrenching tragedy involving the crash of two helicopters at Lumut TLDM Base today. This tragedy turned out to have a profound effect on the families of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and a great loss for the country.
"I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, especially TLDM, to find the cause of the crash," the prime minister added on X, formerly Twitter.
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