Two Malaysian Navy Helicopters Collide Mid-Air During Rehearsal, 10 Dead
During rehearsals for a Royal Malaysian Navy celebration event, two Malaysian Navy helicopters collided mid-air. Resulting in a tragic crash near the town of Lumut, which is home to a navy base. According to reports from Malaysian news media outlets, at least 10 crew members were aboard the helicopters.
Local media reports indicate that the crash took place near Lumut, with no known survivors. Footage of the incident, which has since gone viral on social media. Shows that the collision occurred when one helicopter’s rotor was clipped by the other, leading to the crash. Following the impact, one helicopter crashed onto a running track, while the other fell into a swimming pool nearby.
Two Malaysian Navy Helicopters Collide Mid-Air During Rehearsal, 10 Dead
The Perak fire and rescue department confirmed the deaths of 10 people due to the collision in Lumut, Perak. The department said that it received an emergency call at 9:50 a.m. about the helicopter incident at the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy stadium in Manjung, Perak. According to officials, efforts to retrieve the bodies are ongoing.
In an official statement, the Royal Malaysian Navy identified the helicopters involved in the collision as HOM (M503-3) and Fennec (M502-6). The collision occurred at approximately 9:32 a.m. local time, during a rehearsal for the Navy’s 90th-anniversary celebration set to take place from May 3-5. The HOM helicopter carried seven people, while the Fennec had three on board.
The press release from the Navy indicated that all victims died at the scene and were transported to the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy Base military hospital for identification purposes. The Navy also announced that a panel is being set up to investigate the incident thoroughly.