Two Malaysian navy helicopters collided in mid-air during a training exercise in the northwest state of Perak on Tuesday, killing all 10 people on board, in at least the second accident involving a government aircraft in the Southeast Asian country in as many months.
The two helicopters were rehearsing for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s 90th anniversary celebrations on Saturday when they collided at 9:32 a.m., the Royal Malaysian Navy said in a statement.
The navy said all 10 people on board the two helicopters, all crew members, died at the scene at the Lumut Naval Base.
Video posted by Malaysian news media showed two helicopters crashing in mid-air before various aircraft parts fell from the sky.
“The nation mourns the heartbreaking and soul-destroying tragedy that occurred today when two helicopters crashed at the TLDM base in Lumut,” Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a statement on social media. He was referring to the Malaysian abbreviation for the Royal Malaysian Navy.
Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of a national hero in this tragedy”.
The Navy said it would investigate the cause of the collision. The public is asked not to circulate video of the incident to protect the privacy of the family members involved. Defense Minister Khalid Nordin told reporters that authorities could consider postponing anniversary celebrations in the wake of the tragedy.
Last month, four people were rescued after a Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashed in the Strait of Malacca.
Tashni Sukumaran Contributed reporting.
