TAWAU: Four students were injured when a military Nuri helicopter crashed at a secondary school in Balung here.
At least 14 soldiers were on board the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft when it came down in the SMK Balung compound about 40km from here.
NST has learned that several air force officers and personnel sustained injuries, including the pilot who was pinned to his seat in the wreckage.
In the 9.35am incident, the helicopter clipped the roof of the main school building, before losing altitude and crashing in between the canteen and a hall building currently under construction within the school premises.
Panicked students and teachers ran for their lives as parts of the roof and building collapsed.
District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Fadil Marsus had earlier confirmed the crash before rushing to the scene.
A statement from the RMAF headquarters in Kuala Lumpur said the helicopter was on a flight training routine when it made the emergency landing.
“The helicopter had 14 people on board and took off from its base at 7.35am for the routine daily flight exercise,” the statement added.
The statement did not specify the exact location the helicopter took off from.
Nuri helicopters are dispatched here on detachment from the RMAF squadron in Kuching, to beef up security on the east coast of Sabah.