Three members of the British Royal Navy were killed after a military helicopter crashed during a training exercise in southwest England early Wednesday, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed. The incident occurred near Sourton in Devon and has prompted an official investigation into the cause of the crash.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the helicopter went down shortly before 4:00 a.m. local time in a field near Sourton Down, close to Okehampton in Devon. Officials said the aircraft was participating in a routine training mission when the crash occurred. Emergency services, including police, firefighters and rescue teams, responded to the scene and established road closures in the surrounding area.

British authorities have not officially identified the helicopter type, although multiple British media reports indicated it was a Merlin military helicopter used by the Royal Navy’s Commando Helicopter Force. The crash site lies near key naval aviation facilities and the Okehampton battle camp, an area frequently used for military training exercises.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the deaths as “utterly tragic” while addressing lawmakers in the House of Commons and said further information would be released as soon as possible. Defence Secretary John Healey and senior naval officials also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased personnel.

The Ministry of Defence said the families of the victims have been informed and requested privacy. A formal investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, while authorities have declined to provide further operational details at this stage.

The crash marks one of the deadliest training-related incidents involving British naval aviation in recent years and has renewed attention on operational risks associated with military flight exercises.(ILKHA)