A British naval helicopter flying as part of a training exercise in southwest England crashed on Wednesday, killing three crew members, the Royal Navy said.
The Devon and Cornwall police, the regional police department, said the crash in a field near the town of Okehampton was reported around 3:45 a.m. Emergency teams from the police and the ministry of defense rushed to the scene, the police said. The police also closed roads near the crash site.
The staff members were not identified, but the navy said that families of the dead had been notified. The Royal Navy said an investigation into the crash was underway.
The helicopter was a Merlin MK4 helicopter, said Gen. Gwyn Jenkins, head of the British Navy. The MK4 is primarily used for missions by the Royal Marines. Images of the crash showed that the helicopter was almost completely destroyed, its tail lying on charred grass and debris.
“I know this will come as a huge shock to all in our naval community, and my deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and loved ones impacted by this tragedy,” General Jenkins said in a post on social media.
Lynsey Chutel is a Times reporter based in London who covers breaking news in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
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