Two Malaysian navy helicopters have collided in mid-air during a parade rehearsal, killing all ten crew members on board the aircraft.
The Malaysian navy said that the collision occurred at the Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak at 9.32am (2.32am BST) on Tuesday morning.
“All victims were confirmed dead at the scene and sent to the Lumut naval base military hospital for identification,” the navy reported.
The helicopter crews were practicing for next week’s Navy Day celebrations, which are due to start on 3 May.
Footage showed several helicopters flying in formation, when one of the aircraft blades clipped another before they both spiralled to the ground. Local police confirmed the social media video was legitimate and Malaysia’s navy said it would carry out an investigation.
One helicopter, an Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec lightweight, was carrying three crew members, while an AW139 maritime operation helicopter had seven people onboard, the navy said.
The AW139 is produced by AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of the Italian defence contractor Leonardo. The Fennec is manufactured by European multinational defence conglomerate Airbus.
Malaysian media reported that the AW139 crashed at a sports stadium along a running track at the naval base, while the Fennec hit a nearby swimming pool
Officials are now determining the identities of the crew members killed, all of whom were below the age of 40, Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled told reporters.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the crash was a “heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy” and sent his condolences to the families of the victims.