In a tragic turn of events on Tuesday, two helicopters of the esteemed Malaysian Navy engaged in a catastrophic collision mid-air at the Lumut naval base nestled within Perak, ultimately leading to the demise of all 10 valiant crew members. As reported by Al Jazeera, the incident transpired around 9:30 am, when the ill-fated helicopters, participating in a meticulously planned rehearsal for the upcoming Navy Day parade, crossed paths in the air and collided with devastating force.
The Malaysian Navy promptly confirmed the somber news, reporting the retrieval of the crew members’ remains to the Lumut naval base military hospital for the purpose of identification. A video making its rounds on local media platforms provides a disheartening depiction of the events that transpired, showcasing several helicopters flying in formation prior to one of the aircraft’s rotors making contact with another, causing both to plummet to the earth. The local police have verified the genuineness of this footage, adding further weight to the gravity of the situation.
In the wake of this tragedy, the Malaysian Navy has pledged to undertake a thorough investigation to ascertain the root cause of the accident. According to Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the aircraft involved in this incident – a maritime operations helicopter and a Fennec military chopper – were meticulously rehearsing for an upcoming parade in commemoration of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s 90th anniversary, scheduled to take place on Saturday.
In a somber address to reporters, Minister Nordin highlighted ongoing efforts to establish the identities of the deceased crew members, all of whom were under the age of 40. As presented by BBC, one of the helicopters carrying seven individuals crashed onto a running track, while the other, carrying three crew members, met its demise in a swimming pool.
Expressing profound grief at this national tragedy, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took to social media platform X to offer heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, stating that the country mourns their irreplaceable loss.
This incident follows close on the heels of another helicopter crash involving the Malaysian coast guard last month, wherein two crew members were miraculously rescued from the sea off Malaysia’s Angsa Island. Malaysia has a history of helicopter-related tragedies, with a similar mid-air collision in 2020 claiming the lives of two individuals. Prior to that, in 2016, six people, including the then Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Noriah Kasnon, perished in a helicopter crash. A year earlier, Malaysia’s Ambassador to the United States, Jamaluddin Jarjis, and four others lost their lives when their helicopter crashed into a forest.
