Three British navy personnel killed in helicopter crash in England

A helicopter crash in northwestern England has killed three British naval crew, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

The crash occurred about 4:00am (03:00 GMT) on Wednesday during a helicopter training exercise near the village of Sourton in the county of Devon, a Royal Navy spokesperson said.

The Ministry of Defence announced the news with “deep sadness” in a social media post. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with their families and friends at this sad time,” the ministry said.

The Sky News broadcaster reported local police were at the scene of the crash. It quoted a police spokesperson as saying, “The incident is ongoing, and we will share more updates as we have them.”

The navy’s head, General Gwyn Jenkin, said an investigation is under way.

Few details have been released about the circumstances surrounding the early-morning crash, with the Ministry of Defence saying victims’ families had requested a “period of grace” before further information is made public.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed he was following the incident. “This will be a deeply worrying time for the families and more information will be set out as soon as possible,” Sky News quoted him as saying.

British media reported that several naval bases are located close to where the helicopter went down, including HMNB Devonport, which is Western Europe’s biggest naval base.