Military helicopters crash in India, killing 9

Two Indian air force helicopters have collided in mid-air in India's western state of Gujarat, killing nine on board.

The two Russian-made helicopters crashed into each other in mid-air just after taking off from an air base near the village of Sarmat in Jamnagar district, reported BBC News. Officials said they were on a training sortie and that it was supposed to be a routine flight. Air force, police and fire brigade team were on site to assess the situation.

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Eyewitnesses said one of the helicopters caught fire during the collision, noted the Associated Press. Mangled debris from the crash was scattered across fields near the Jamnagar air force base.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has ordered an investigation into the cause of the accident, IAF spokesman Wing Commander Gerard Galway said, according to UPI.