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One US soldier killed, 8 wounded in helicopter crash

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-24 03:21

WASHINGTON: One US soldier was killed and eight others injured on Thursday night when a helicopter crashed onto a naval ship off Fort Story of Virginia during a training exercise, the US military said on Friday.

The accident occurred at about 8 p.m. eastern US time (0000 GMT Friday), some 32 km off the Virginian coast during a "fast rope" exercise, US Fleet Forces Command said in a news release.

It involved members of a Naval Special Warfare unit quickly descending onto the ship from an Army Blackhawk helicopter in what might be required in the event of an incident involving pirates or terrorists, it said.

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The injured soldiers were evacuated from the ship, a naval oiler called USNS Arctic, by a second helicopter and were taken to a nearby hospital.

As of Friday morning, four of the 8 wounded have been released while four others are still hospitalized.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.