Nine navy officers were killed Friday when their helicopter crashed into a rice field and burst into flames in northeast Thailand, officials said. The Bell 214 helicopter was on a routine training flight when it crashed in Surin province, 455 kilometers (280 miles) northeast of the capital Bangkok.
"Nine navy officers are confirmed dead in this morning's crash, including the two pilots, one of whom was a vice admiral. The rest were mechanics who were on a training mission," navy spokesman Captain Korkiart Pundee told AFP. Navy investigators were examining the crash site to determine the cause of the accident which was believed to have resulted from a mechanical problem, he added.