At the time of the incident, the two helicopters were rehearsing for an aerial display at the naval base of Lumut.

Following a midair collision between two Malaysian navy helicopters, ten crew members tragically lost their lives when the aircraft crashed to the ground. The incident took place during aerial training on Tuesday morning in northern Lumut, where the navy's headquarters are situated, as confirmed by the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Involved in the collision were an Agusta Westland AW139 Maritime Operations Helicopter (HOM) and a Eurocopter Fennec. The AW139 crashed near the stadium's raised seating at the complex, while the Fennec fell near a swimming pool.

The navy stated that there were seven crew members on board the Agusta and three on the Eurocopter. All individuals were confirmed deceased at the crash site, which occurred around 9:30 a.m. (01:30 GMT). The navy also announced that an investigation board would be formed to ascertain the cause of the incident.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim described the incident as a "heart-wrenching tragedy" and confirmed that an investigation would be conducted. Videos circulating on social media depicted several helicopters flying above a stadium, with numerous troops in formation below.

In the footage, one helicopter is seen striking the rear rotor of another before both helicopters plummet to the ground. The crews of the helicopters were reportedly practicing for the upcoming Navy Day celebrations, scheduled to begin on May 3. Malaysia has unfortunately experienced several helicopter crashes over the past decade.

In 2015, Jamaluddin Jarjis, then Malaysia’s ambassador to the United States and a former government minister, was among five people killed when their helicopter crashed into jungle in central Selangor state.

The following a year, six people were killed when their helicopter crashed in the Borneo state of Sarawak. The dead included then Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Noriah Kasnon.

In 2020, two people were killed after two helicopters clipped each other and crashed to the east of Kuala Lumpur.

In August last year, 10 people were killed after a private jet crashed onto a highway on the city’s west. The dead included a senior politician from the central state of Pahang and his aide, as well as two people on the ground