Ten people were killed on Tuesday after two helicopters collided in mid-air during a rehearsal for a Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) parade, the navy said in a statement. All 10 were crew members aboard the aircraft involved in the accident, which occurred at the Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak at 9.32 a.m. Tuesday morning (0132 GMT), the navy said.
"All victims were confirmed dead at the scene and sent to the Lumut army base hospital for identification," the navy said.
TLDM also confirmed that the collision involved an AgustaWestland AW139 maritime operation helicopter and its Eurocopter Fennec light-size counterpart, local media Malay Mail reported.
A preliminary report previously said the two aircraft left Padang Sitiawan at approximately 9.03 am before colliding, with the AW139 crashing onto the steps of the stadium of the Lumut base while the Fennec fell into the swimming pool of the base's sports complex.
TLDM also urged the public to refrain from sharing videos of the incident to protect the sensitivity of the families of the deceased, and to preserve the integrity of the investigation process.
(With inputs from agencies)
