Ten people died this Tuesday as a result of the aerial collision between the two Malaysian Navy helicopters, according to emergency teams on the ground this Tuesday.
Ten people died this Tuesday as a result of the aerial collision between the two Malaysian Navy helicopters, according to emergency teams on the ground this Tuesday.
The accident occurred at 9:32 local time (GMT+7) during a rehearsal for an event to mark Malaysian Navy Day when, in mid-flight and for unexplained reasons, they collided while flying over the Lumut military base, in the eastern Malaysian state of Perak, according to a statement from the Malaysian Navy.
There were seven crew members in one helicopter and three in the other, and the medical teams confirmed the deaths of all the passengers at the same place as the tragedy.
The accident occurred at 9:32 local time (GMT+7) during a rehearsal for an event to mark Malaysian Navy Day when, in mid-flight and for unexplained reasons, they collided while flying over the Lumut military base, in the eastern Malaysian state of Perak, according to a statement from the Malaysian Navy.
There were seven crew members in one helicopter and three in the other, and the medical teams confirmed the deaths of all the passengers at the same place as the tragedy.
After the crash, the devices fell to the ground, as can be seen in a video posted on social networks.
“Doctors confirmed the death of 10 people,” the Fire and Rescue Department noted on its Facebook profile.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim published a message on his social networks in which he stated that the nation is mourning the “devastating tragedy” and assured that the Ministry of Defense has launched an investigation into what happened.
“The death of all victims at the scene of the accident was confirmed,” the note noted. A person who was swimming in a pool was injured.
In a video that circulated on social networks that supposedly shows the accident, several helicopters are seen flying low in formation. One of them lists to one side and collides with the rotor of another of the devices, causing both to plummet and crash. A local police officer, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the press, confirmed the veracity of the images.
The two helicopters were unrecognizable. Rescuers searched for the bodies in the rubble. The victims included three women and seven men ranging in age from 26 to 41, according to authorities.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the country was mourning a “tragedy that tears at the heart and soul”. The Navy will immediately begin an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, he added.
Seven of the dead were aboard an AW139 maritime operations helicopter, the Navy said. The aircraft was manufactured by AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defense contractor Leonardo. The other three were flying in a Fennec light helicopter, manufactured by the European multinational defense conglomerate Airbus.
Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the anniversary celebration on Saturday was canceled and would be replaced by prayers on Friday for the victims.
According to Khaled, the two helicopters were among seven rehearsing when the collision occurred. One of the devices crashed on an empty sports field and another fell into a nearby pool. One swimmer was injured after being hit by the plane’s debris, he added.
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