Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter crashes, killing six
May 9 (UPI) -- A military helicopter crashed in central Sri Lanka on Friday, killing six military personnel, the nation's air force said.
The Bell 212 helicopter crashed into the Maduru Oya Reservoir during a demonstration for the Special Forces' passing-out ceremony, according to the Sri Lanka Air Force, which said in a brief statement that "six personnel lost their lives following the incident."
"The Commander of the AF has appointed a special nine-member committee to conduct a detailed investigation," it said.
It was unclear how many people were aboard the aircraft though initial local reports state that there were 12 personnel.
The deceased have been identified in local media as two gunners and four Special Forces members.
Maduru Oya is located about 174 miles northeast of Colombo.
This is a developing story.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Behind the veteran designating Winnebago County's Highway 21 as Purple Heart Memorial Highway
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – Winnebago County Marine veteran Roy Rogers' time in the military came to an end with a 15-month hospital stay at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Waukegan, IL. Before arriving there, a landmine detonated in front of him in Chu Lai, South Vietnam, blowing apart a piece of his left hand and foot, littering that side of his body with shrapnel. 'It hit my rifle and disintegrated my rifle and part of me,' Rogers said. 'I was lucky.' After requiring nine operations during that hospital stay, no one would have blamed him for wanting to forget those days, leaving them behind to never be thought of again. He has not. In fact, Rogers has spent nearly six decades working for and with veterans in Winnebago County and throughout the state. 'I may have stepped on a landmine, but I'm still here and I'm still fighting for everything,' he said. Still fighting for fellow veterans, Rogers has spent the better part of the past year working to make Highway 21 in Winnebago County a Purple Heart Memorial Highway. 'I worked for about 10 months asking the Winnebago County executive and our state governor if they'd approve making that a state highway designation, and it came to pass and I'm so happy,' Rogers said. While the county board and state review and approve of the motion to make the designation, it takes citizen action to organize it, and at least one veteran from the county to lose life or limb for it. 'There was probably 60 people in Winnebago County that were probably killed in Vietnam,' Rogers said. The effort that Rogers spent on getting the designation is not lost on Winnebago County executive Gordon Hintz, who spoke at the ceremony Saturday along with Rogers at the intersection of Highway 21 and Oakwood Rd. 'It's important to recognize that we have people who have served, given life and limb, from Winnebago County,' Hintz said. 'But it really took a citizen, a veteran himself, Roy Rogers, to push this forward, and the county was really happy to build off his work and make today happen.' 'I'm thrilled that what I started actually came to pass,' Rogers said. He is hopeful that people driving on Highway 21 remember not the effort it took to get the designation passed, but rather the sacrifices women and men in the military made and continue to make. 'Hopefully everyone that drives on Highway 21 in Winnebago County realizes that a person had to be combat wounded in order to put that sign there,' he said. Wisconsin has allowed highways to be designated as Purple Heart Memorial Highways since 1994. The Purple Heart was first instituted in 1782, by then-General George Washington. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
‘We have pride': Family and sailors reunite in Jacksonville after 9-month deployment
Land Ho to the USS Jason Dunham, as its sailors touched land Sunday morning for the first time in nine months, serving as an emotional reunion for loved ones and sailors alike. 'This is amazing to see our baby. Just [to] hug him and love him after only having FaceTime for so long,' said Lauren Habiak on Sunday after embracing her loved one once again. 'That was wonderful. So my brothers and sisters are here, my step mom is here, really really glad to see them,' added Chief Petty Officer Paige Gibson. 'It was just, it was a sigh of relief.' While the sailors Action News Jax spoke to Sunday morning said it certainly wasn't easy, they did say the mission and the honor of serving their countries overseas made it all worthwhile. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The sailors on board the USS Jason Dunham spent nine months sailing through Europe and the Middle East. The deployment began in Fall 2024, when they departed as part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group. In that time, the sailors conducted exercises with our NATO allies and combat operations in the Red Sea. 'That's always the best thing that you could possibly fall back on. It's the pride of what we do,' said FCA2 Cranston. 'That's why we do what we do, because we have pride in our country, we have a pride in each other, we have our pride in people back home. So the communication back home and faith in the mission is the number one thing.' Now these sailors get to enjoy some much-needed quality time with their loved ones before heading out on their next voyage at sea. 'Our next deployment, we don't know yet. We think it will probably be in a year or two,' explained Aaron Jefferson III, the commanding officer of the USS Jason Dunham. 'So we're just going to go into our sustainment phase. We're going to start training. We'll start maintaining the ship and getting ready for our next task.' >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]


Fox News
4 days ago
- Fox News
Remembering The Incredible Heroism On D-Day
As Americans and other countries involved commemorate the 81st anniversary of D-Day, Martha takes a look back at her conversation with historian and journalist Garrett Graff about the unsung heroes of the day. He highlights his book, 'When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day, ' which honors D-Day with stories of military and human triumphs. Garret shares with Martha some of the powerful interviews he conducted, remembering those who demonstrated courage and bravery on June 6th, 1944. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit