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By Isabel van Brugen
News Reporter
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Two Malaysian navy helicopters crashed midair during a rehearsal on Tuesday for a naval parade, killing all 10 crew members on board.
The Royal Malaysian Navy said the collision occurred at the Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak at 9:32 a.m. local time.
"All victims were confirmed dead at the scene and sent to the Lumut naval base military hospital for identification," a navy statement said.
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The Context
An AW139 maritime operations helicopter and a Fennec military chopper were carrying out a midair maneuver during training for the navy's 90th anniversary celebrations**—**scheduled for April 27—when they collided. They were conducting their third practice run, officials said.
What We Know
An eyewitness video, which has been verified by local police, shows the moment the aircraft collided and plunged to the ground.
The helicopters had taken off at 9:03 a.m. local time.
Local media reported that the AW139 crashed at a sports complex at the naval base, while the Fennec hit a nearby swimming pool.
It was reported that there were seven crew members onboard the AW139 and three on the Fennec.
Perak police chief Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said three female navy personnel were among those killed, local publication the New Straits Times reported.
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said an investigation will be conducted by the Ministry of Defense to determine the cause of the accident.
"The country is mourning a heartbreaking and soul-wrenching tragedy involving two helicopters at [Naval Base Stadium] Lumut Base today," he wrote in a statement on Facebook. "Condolences to all the victims' families with prayers to be given strength in facing this tragedy."
"This tragedy turns out to have a deep impact on the families of the Armed Forces of Malaysia and [is] a huge loss to the country," he added.
Malaysia's king, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, also took to Facebook on Tuesday morning to express his condolences to the families of the victims.
He said in a statement that he and his wife are "deeply saddened by the loss of our nation's heroes in this tragedy" and ordered the Malaysian Armed Forces to conduct a "detailed investigation to get full information on the incident."
What Next?
The Royal Malaysian Navy said an investigation would be launched into the cause of the tragedy.
Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin told reporters on Tuesday that the navy may postpone its scheduled 90th anniversary celebrations following the helicopter crash.
"The armed forces chief and I will go to Lumut to observe and obtain on-ground information and reports of the incident," he added.
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