Three members of the British Royal Navy were killed in a helicopter crash in southwest England on Wednesday. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the AFP and AP agencies.
- Three members of the British Royal Navy died in a helicopter crash.
- The helicopter crashed during a training exercise near the village of Sourton in Devon.
- The incident happened in the early hours of the morning before four o’clock local time.
- The Ministry of Defense confirmed the deaths, the cause of the tragic accident is still unknown.
- Merlin Mk4 helicopters routinely transport troops and conduct anti-submarine operations.
The accident occurred during a training exercise before 04:00 local time (05:00 CEST) near the village of Sourton in Devon. “Our thoughts and condolences are with their families and friends at this sad time.” said a spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense without specifying the cause of the accident.
Commander of the Royal Marines General Gwyn Jenkins “is deeply saddened to report that three crew members of a Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 helicopter have died after it crashed near Sourton in Devon in the early hours of this morning”, it is written in his statement.
Merlin helicopters usually have a crew of four and can transport up to 24 soldiers at a time, for example during an amphibious operation on board ships. According to the Royal Navy’s website, they are primarily used for anti-submarine warfare and are used for search and rescue operations, cargo transport and patrolling at sea.
