Military helicopters crash in mid-air killing all 10 crew on board
This is the horror moment two military helicopters collided in mid-air before plummeting to the ground.
All 10 crew on board were killed in the crash in Malaysia, at 9.30am local time this morning.
The incident happened during a rehearsal at a naval base in northern Perak state, about 100 miles from the capital Kuala Lumpur, for the navy’s 90th anniversary in May.
The crash involved an AW139 maritime operations helicopter, with seven crew on board, and a navy lightweight Fennec, with three crew members.
Footage shows the main rotar blade of one of them striking the tall rotor of the second.
Parts of the two choppers are seen falling to the ground as they both lose power and crash.
Fire and rescue services arrived at the site, extinguishing the flames. What was left was a pile of charred and warped metal and exposed engine parts.
Nothing could be done to save the crew and all 10 were pronounced dead at the scene.
‘All victims were confirmed dead on site,’ the navy said in a statement, adding that the remains have been sent to the hospital to be identified.
Defence minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said efforts were under way to verify the identities of the crew members killed, all of whom were below the age of 40.
Local media reported that the AW139 crashed at a sports complex at the base, while the Fennec hit a nearby swimming pool.
The navy said it will launch an investigation to determine what caused the accident.
This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
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