Royal Malaysian Navy Helicopters Collide Mid-Air, Resulting in 10 Fatalities
LUMUT: At least 10 people have been confirmed dead after two Malaysian military helicopters crashed into each other mid-air and went down in Lumut.
The two helicopters that crashed were owned by the Royal Malaysian Navy.
The Perak Fire and Rescue Department stated that they received an emergency call at 9.50 am about a helicopter incident at the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy stadium in Manjung, Perak.
A 21-second video has been widely shared on social media shows the moment when one helicopter crashes into the tail of another in the air, causing both aircraft to fall to the ground.
Pieces of the helicopters were seen flying through the air and landing near an open field where naval personnel were gathered.
The accident is thought to have occurred during a rehearsal for the Navy's upcoming 90th-anniversary celebration.
The Royal Malaysian Navy confirmed in an official statement that two helicopters, known as models HOM (M503-3) and Fennec (M502-6), collided in mid-air at 9:32 am, resulting in their subsequent crash.
According to the Navy, there were a total of 10 people involved in the incident, with seven on board the HOM (M503-3) helicopter and the remaining three on the Fennec (M502-6).
The statement confirmed that all individuals involved were pronounced dead at the accident site and were later taken to the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy Base military hospital for identification.
The Royal Malaysian Navy has committed to setting up an investigative board to determine the cause of the tragic incident.
The Navy emphasized the importance of not sharing videos of the incident out of respect for the families affected and to help with the investigation.
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