Sri Lanka helicopter crash kills six military personnel

COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter crashed during a graduation ceremony on Friday, plunging into a reservoir and killing six of the 12 people on board, a military official said.

The personnel were preparing for a grappling demonstration when their Bell 212 careened into the reservoir at the Maduru Oya national park, the official told AFP. “There were 12 people on board, and six of them survived with minor injuries,” said the official, who declined to be named. Those killed included four special forces commandos and two Air Force gunners. The survivors were admitted to hospital.