PETALING JAYA - Ten people were killed on April 23 after two helicopters collided in mid-air during a rehearsal for a Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) parade to celebrate its 90th anniversary, the navy said in a statement.
All 10 – seven men and three women – were crew members aboard the two aircraft. All the bodies have been recovered and identified.
The accident occurred at the TLDM stadium in Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak at 9.32am.
Footage shared online showed several helicopters flying low in a formation over the Lumut naval stadium in a flypast rehearsal ahead of the navy fleet’s open day celebrations in May.
One of the helicopters was seen clipping the rear rotor of another helicopter, causing both to go into a tailspin and crash.
Debris from the crash can also be seen falling near where other navy personnel were participating in marching drills.
The two helicopters involved were a Fennec M502-6 and a HOM M503-3. The helicopters had taken off from Padang Sitiawan at 9.03am.
A three-man crew was manning the Fennec helicopter, while there were seven crew members onboard the HOM helicopter. They were based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, and Lumut, Perak.
“All victims were confirmed dead at the scene and sent to the Lumut army base hospital for identification,” the navy said. The bodies will later be sent to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh for post-mortem examination.
The HOM crashed on the stairs at the TLDM stadium, while the Fennec helicopter crashed into the swimming pool in the sports complex.
One officer was also reported to have sustained light injuries after being hit by the debris while swimming in the pool at the time.
TLDM said it would be establishing a board of investigators to look into the cause of the incident and asked members of the public not to broadcast the video of the incident to protect the privacy of the victims’ families, as well as the investigation process.
The New Straits Times reported that Defence Minister Khaled Nordin would be visiting the crash site along with armed forces chief Mohammad Ab Rahman.
TLDM will be flying the families of the victims to Lumut on April 23, and Mr Khaled will meet them.
The New Straits Times cited Mr Khaled as saying the Defence Ministry would provide moral support to the victims’ next of kin, as well as other assistance according to standard disaster management operating procedures.
“We need to reassure them (the families of the victims) because this loss is irreplaceable, and it is the ministry’s priority at the moment. Other assistance will be provided as usual.
“For any disaster that occurs, we will indeed channel aid and contributions to the next of kin and families of the victims,” he said.
Funeral arrangements, however, will be made by their respective families.
According to Mr Khaled, two prior rehearsals of the anniversary celebration had gone smoothly and without incident.
An interim investigation report will be released by TLDM as soon as possible ahead of the full report.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying that the nation mourned the tragedy.
“I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defence, especially TLDM, to find the cause of the crash,” he said.
Malaysia’s King Ibrahim Iskandar sent his condolences to the victims’ families, calling for a detailed investigation to be conducted by the Malaysian armed forces.
In light of the incident, TLDM’s 90th-anniversary celebrations will be postponed, with prayers for the victims to be held instead.
In March, a Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashed in the Strait of Malacca, with no fatalities.
In 2016, a deputy minister was among those who died after a Eurocopter AS350 crashed in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. AFP, REUTERS, THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
