Ten crew members from the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) have died after their helicopters collided during a parade rehearsal on Tuesday morning.
The two aircraft crashed at the Lumut TLDM naval base while carrying out a flyby ahead of a 90th anniversary celebration, the navy said in a statement.
“All victims were confirmed dead on site and the remains were sent to TLDM Military Hospital for identification process,” the statement read, adding that an investigation had been launched into the cause of the incident.
The two helicopters involved were an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter and a lighter Eurocopter Fennec. One copter had seven crew on board, while the other had three.
The AW139 crashed onto the steps of a stadium while the Fennec went down at the pool of the base’s sports complex, according to local newspaper Malaymail.
The navy has called on the public to refrain from sharing videos and photos of the deceased to protect the sensitivity of the victims’ families.