▲ Fire retardant is dropped following the crash of a U.S. military helicopter in Texas on the 12th (local time).
An Apache helicopter on a training mission has crashed in the U.S. state of Texas, leaving two U.S. soldiers dead.
According to the Associated Press and Reuters on the 12th (local time), an AH-64 Apache helicopter from the Fort Hood military base crashed in a field, killing both occupants.
The accident occurred in Bell County, located about 100 kilometers north of Austin, the capital of Texas.
The crashed helicopter was reportedly on a routine training flight when the incident occurred.
Cliff Coleman, a spokesperson for the Bell County Sheriff's Office, said, "Officials from the Fort Hood military base are investigating the cause of the accident," adding that "the helicopter did not hit any homes or structures during the crash."
He added that some residents were evacuated due to fires sparked by the crash.
Photos of the scene released by Coleman showed the field surrounding the crash site scorched black, with flames and thick black smoke rising from the helicopter debris.
The Fort Hood military base acknowledged the helicopter crash but did not disclose the identities of the victims.
Deployed since 1984, the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter is regarded as a core asset of the U.S. military.
Fort Hood is a large base spanning 540,000 square meters, serving to train and deploy heavily armed troops.
The U.S. Army has stated that the Fort Hood military base, set in flat and arid terrain, provides an ideal training environment.
However, the Associated Press noted that there have been several previous accidents involving the Fort Hood military base.
In November 2015, a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during training, killing four U.S. soldiers, and in 2016, nine U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Hood died after being swept away by a swollen creek during heavy rain.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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