Nearly a Dozen Dead After Military Training Goes Wrong

(NationRise.com) – Several soldiers are dead after a horrific helicopter crash in Malaysia.

The accident occurred during preparations for a celebration of the Malaysian Navy’s 90th anniversary. The helicopters were practicing their routine for a planned show. Multiple helicopters were flying in a low formation as part of the drill. However, one began drifting sideways and eventually collided with another. Officials confirmed that all ten victims died at the scene. Footage of the incident was leaked online and later confirmed authentic by an unnamed police officer.

One of the helicopters crashed into a field located in a sports complex nearby. Another crashed into a swimming pool, injuring an occupant inside. One of the helicopters, a lightweight Fennec, held three of the victims. The other, an AgustaWestland AW139 maritime aircraft, held the remaining seven.

The victims ranged in age between 26 and 41 and included seven men and three women. The damage was so extensive that authorities had difficulty sifting through the mangled wreckage to recover their bodies. An investigation has been ordered by Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s prime minister. He referred to the crash as a “heart and soul-wrenching tragedy.”

Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced that celebrations were canceled after the incident. He instead designated April 26th as a day of prayer for the fallen soldiers.

The incident draws parallels with another helicopter crash that occurred in Texas just last month. National Guard troops were carrying out a mission to support the US Border Patrol when the chopper went down near the Mexican border. Three people were killed, and one other was injured.

Reports have shown that training exercises are actually more deadly for US military personnel than combat. That startling fact was highlighted after a training incident that occurred at Fort Stewart in southern Georgia in 2019. Three soldiers died after their Bradley Fighting Vehicle rolled off the road and fell into a body of water. All three died at the scene. A report released at that time revealed that 16,652 active duty members were killed while training between 2006 and 2018.