ALBAWABA - Two navy helicopters collided half an hour after taking off from their Lumut airbase, killing at least 10 people of those who were on board.
The helicopters were taking part in the rehearsals for the 90th Navy Day parade. The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) said in a statement that an HOM maritime operations helicopter and a Fennec helicopter crashed at 9:32 am.
Footage of the incident circulating on social media showed seven helicopters flying in a loose formation above the base. The camera then moves to a duo that has parted to the right.
According to a message published by CNA (formerly Channel NewsAsia), citing the navy, the helicopters took off at 9:03 a.m. The HOM helicopter fell on stadium steps, while the Fennec helicopter crashed into a pool, according to the message.
"All victims confirmed dead on the scene and sent to the Lumut Navy base armed forces hospital for the process of identification," the navy said, adding that seven crew members were on board the HOM helicopter, with another three on the Fennec helicopter.
The CNA contacted Perak police chief Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri, who confirmed that 10 people were killed in the tragic collision, adding that the training was part of rehearsals for the 90th Navy Day parade.
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) stated that an official investigation will be launched to determine the root cause behind the helicopter collision. "The RMN urges the public not to share videos of the incident to preserve the sensitivities of the family and the investigation process," it added.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim issued a statement shortly after the tragic incident expressing his sympathies to the victims' families.
"This tragedy turned out to have a profound effect on the families of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and a great loss for the country. I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, specifically TLDM, to find the cause of the crash," Prime Minister Ibrahim said.
