10 killed as 2 helicopters collide mid-air during Malaysia's Navy event rehearsals

Ten people were killed after two navy helicopters rehearsing for a Royal Malaysian Navy celebration event collided mid-air above Lumut naval stadium on Tuesday (Apr 23).

Video of tragedy shocks netizens

Footage published by local media showed the moment when one chopper clipped the rotor of the other before both crashed into the ground.

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In a statement, Suhaimy Mohamad Suhail, senior operations commander from the fire and rescue department, said, "The two helicopters collided during flight training. All 10 victims on board have been confirmed dead by the medical officers."

Video of the tragic incident is being widely shared on social media. You can watch it here. Viewer discretion is advised: 

As per reports, the aircraft were flying low in a formation over the Lumut naval stadium in a flypast rehearsal ahead of the Malaysian navy fleet’s open day celebrations, slated to be celebrated in May.

The two helicopters involved were a Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec and an AgustaWestland AW139, said the rescue agency, as reported by AFP.

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Photos of the incident show the wreckage of the heavily mangled Eurocopter on the naval base stadium track. The AgustaWestland helicopter, on the other hand, crashed into the naval base's swimming pool area.

The nation's Prime Minister has shared his condolences for the victims.

In a statement, PM Anwar Ibrahim told the families of the victims that "the nation mourns the heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy".

"I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, especially TLDM (Royal Malaysian Navy), to find the cause of the crash," he stated.

(With inputs from agencies)