Ten individuals tragically lost their lives following a mid-air collision between two helicopters during a rehearsal for a Royal Malaysian Navy parade.
The incident occurred at the Malaysian navy’s Lumut Base, situated approximately 100 miles (160km) northwest of the capital Kuala Lumpur, around 9:30 a.m. local time.
Involved in the crash were an AW139 maritime operations helicopter carrying seven crew members and a navy Fennec with three crew members.
“All the victims were confirmed to have died at the scene and were sent to the Lumut Base Army Hospital for the identification process,” the navy stated in a statement.
“[We] will establish a board of inquiry to identify the cause of the incident.
“The helicopters crashed during training for a flyover ahead of Malaysia’s 90th Naval Day celebrations.”
Local media sources indicated that the AW139 crashed at a sports complex within the naval base, while the Fennec struck a nearby swimming pool.
Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin stated that efforts were ongoing to confirm the identities of the crew members who perished in the crash, all of whom were under the age of 40.
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