Meteorologia

  • 18 MAIO 2024
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15º
MIN 13º MÁX 20º

Ten crew killed in Malaysian military helicopter crash

The 10 crew members of two military helicopters were killed on Wednesday when the aircraft collided and crashed in western Malaysia, the Malaysian navy said.

Notícias ao Minuto

07:04 - 23/04/24 por Lusa

Mundo Malásia

The helicopters were taking part in rehearsals for the navy's 90th anniversary celebrations in May when the accident happened at 9:32am (2:32am Lisbon time), it said in a statement.

Videos posted on social media showed seven helicopters flying in formation at low altitude over the parade ground of the Lumut naval base in the western Malaysian state of Perak.

As two of the helicopters peeled away from the formation and turned right, one of them clipped the tail rotor of the other, causing both aircraft to spin out of control and crash.

"All victims were confirmed dead at the location of the incident," the navy said, adding that the remains had been sent to a hospital for identification.

Seven crew members were on board an AW139 maritime operation helicopter, produced by AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Italian defence company Leonardo, the navy said.

Three crew members were in a Fennec helicopter, manufactured by European multinational defence conglomerate Airbus.

Local media reported that the AW139 crashed on the naval base's sports complex, while the Fennec hit a nearby swimming pool.

The navy said it would launch an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on social media that the nation was mourning the "devastating tragedy".

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