10 killed as two Malaysian Navy helicopters collide in mid-air – on camera

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At least 10 people were killed when two Malaysian navy helicopters collided in mid-air during a rehearsal for the Royal Malaysian Navy parade on Tuesday, the Malaysian navy said in a statement.

The navy said the accident occurred at 9.32 am on Tuesday at the Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak. “All the victims died at the scene and were transferred to Lumut Army Base Hospital for identification,” the navy said, citing news agency Reuters.

According to footage published on local media, one plane clipped the other’s rotor before both planes fell to the ground, the BBC reported.

One of the helicopters, a HOM M503-3, with seven people on board, is believed to have crashed on a running track. A Fennec M502-6, carrying the other three victims, crashed into a nearby swimming pool. The state fire and rescue department was alerted to the incident at 9:50 am local time, the BBC reported.

Following the helicopter crash, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “the nation mourns this heart-breaking and soul-shattering tragedy”. “Condolences to all the families of the victims and prayers for strength to face this disaster,” he said.