Two U.S. Army helicopters crashed during a routine training mission in southwestern Kentucky, causing several casualties as reported by military officials on Wednesday.
The two helicopters involved were AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell. The incident occurred around 7 pm on Tuesday near the town of Fort Campbell, which straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
An investigation is underway to determine what caused the accident. According to a statement released by Brigadier General Todd Royar, "our top priority is caring for our injured soldiers and their families."
The identities of those involved have not been released pending notification of next of kin. However, family members have been notified that there has been an accident involving their loved ones.
Emergency responders were immediately called to the scene after residents reported hearing loud explosions and seeing flames shoot up into the air. The site has since been secured by military personnel.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with our soldiers, their families, and friends," said Brigadier General Royar in his statement.
This is not the first time that military accidents have occurred during training exercises. In April last year, three Marines died when their aircraft crashed off the coast of Australia while conducting a training exercise.
As investigations continue into this latest crash in Kentucky - which reportedly caused several casualties - questions remain about how such tragedies can be prevented in future missions across all branches of service within American armed forces.