Malaysian helicopter crash kills 10 Navy crew members in Lumut collision

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Two Malaysian Navy helicopters collided in mid-air during a naval display exercise on Tuesday, killing all 10 crew members on board, the Malaysian Navy said in a statement.

The accident occurred at the Lumut Naval Base in the western state of Perak at 9:32 a.m. local time, the Navy said.

“All the victims were confirmed dead at the scene and were sent to the Military Hospital at Lumut Naval Base for identification,” the Navy said.

A video circulated on local media showed several helicopters flying in formation, when one of the two helicopters collided with another before the two planes crashed on the ground. Local police confirmed that the footage was real.

The Navy said it would investigate the cause of the collision.

Defense Minister Mohd Khalid Noordin said the aircraft – a maritime operations helicopter and a Fennec military helicopter – were rehearsing for a parade to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy, scheduled for Saturday.

He told reporters that efforts are underway to verify the identity of the crew members who were killed, all of whom were under the age of forty.

This story has been updated with additional information.