Three crewmembers killed in UK Navy helicopter crash

A Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 helicopter crashed during a training exercise near Okehampton, Devon, shortly before 4am on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. All three crewmembers on board were killed in the accident. The cause of the crash is not yet known, and an investigation is now under way.

The head of the Royal Navy, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, expressed his condolences, saying: "I am deeply saddened to share the news that three crewmembers on board a Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 helicopter have died after it crashed in the early hours of this morning near Sourton, Devon." He added that the thoughts of the entire Navy are with the families and friends of the deceased.

The Merlin Mk4 is a variant of the AW101 helicopter used by the Royal Navy for troop transport and utility roles. The aircraft was conducting a routine night training exercise at the time of the incident. Emergency services responded to the scene, but the crewmembers were pronounced dead.

According to Mehr News, the report was based on information from local Indian websites. The Ministry of Defence has launched a full investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.