Casualties reported as two US Army Black Hawk helicopters crash in Kentucky

WASHINGTON: Several casualties have been reported as the two US Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed in the northwest of Kentucky during a training mission Wednesday night, resulting in "several casualties," officials said.

The helicopters, from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), crashed at around 10 pm in Kentucky's Trigg county, northwest of Fort Campbell, the army base said in a statement early Thursday.

"We can confirm two aircraft from the 101st were involved in an accident last night resulting in several casualties," the 101st Airborne Division tweeted later.

"Right now our focus is on the soldiers and their families who were involved."

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear had said earlier that fatalities were expected.

"We've got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected," he said on Twitter.

He said Kentucky police and emergency management were responding.

"Please pray for all those affected," Beshear tweeted.

Fort Campbell said the helicopter crash was under investigation.

"More information will be released as it becomes available," it said.

Fort Campbell — where the helicopter crash occurred — is home to the 101st Airborne Division, the US Army's only air assault division.

Nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles," the division was activated in August 1942 and gained renown during World War II in the D-Day landings and the Battle of the Bulge.

More recently the division has seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan.