At least 10 people died after two Malaysian navy helicopters collided in mid-air during a parade rehearsal on Tuesday morning, local authorities said.
Images published by Malaysian media shows the two helicopters flying low above a parade formation before one of the vehicle’s rotor blades collides with the other. The two fall to the ground as shredded pieces separate from the choppers.
The Royal Malaysian Navy confirmed the incident in a statement Tuesdayspecifying that a maritime operation helicopter and a Fennec had crashed on a base in Lumut at 9:32 a.m. local time.
Seven crew members of the maritime operation helicopter died, while three other members of the Fennec crew were killed, according to the statement.
The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Service wrote that the two helicopters were taking part in flight training in preparation for a ceremonial parade and that firefighters responded to the scene at around 9:50 a.m.
The department said it deployed 21 firefighters in two stations. All of the victims were naval personnel and were pronounced dead by staff at the base’s military hospital, firefighters said.
The Malaysian Navy said a board of inquiry would be set up to identify the cause of the incident.
Photos of the crash site released by authorities show that at least one of the helicopters landed in an athletic training area, its body crumpled and mutilated.
Rescuers work on one of the crashed helicopters. Bomba Bahagian Korporat/Facebook
The Royal Malaysian Navy has used the Fennec, a French-made light attack helicopter, for several decades. An online listing of its assets includes one of the 36-foot-long helicopters, which indicates it was launched in 2004.
A Fennec can cost around $5 million on the market, according to some plane tracking sites.
The other crashed helicopter, a Leonardo AW139, was manufactured by the Anglo-Italian manufacturer AgustaWestland. These are generally used for transportation purposes and prices for the AW139 can range between $5 million and $10 million in the commercial market.
A version of the U.S. Air Force helicopter, the MH-139 Gray Wolf, costs more than $39 million per unit, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The AW139 can typically accommodate up to four crew members, and the Malaysian Navy says it inducted three helicopters in 2004.
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