Terence Tan/Ministry of Communications and Information/AP
First responders inspect the scene of a helicopter crash in Lumut, Perak, Malaysia, April 23, 2024.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Two Malaysian Navy helicopters collided in midair during a naval parade rehearsal on Tuesday, killing all 10 crew members, the navy said in a statement.
According to the navy, the incident occurred at 9:32 a.m. local time at Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak.
“All the victims were pronounced dead at the scene and sent to Lumut Naval Base Military Hospital for identification,” the navy said in a statement.
Video circulated on local media showed several helicopters flying in formation, with the rotors of one clipping the rotor of the other before both crashed into the ground. Local police confirmed the footage was genuine.
The Navy said it would investigate the cause of the collision.
Defense Minister Mohamed Khalid Nordin said the maritime operations helicopter and the military Fennec helicopter were rehearsing for a parade to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy, scheduled to be held on Saturday.
He told reporters that efforts were underway to identify the deceased crew members, all of whom were under the age of 40.
This story has been updated with additional information.
