Three members of the British Navy have been killed in a military helicopter accident in England. The crash occurred early this morning during an exercise in the county of Devon in the southwest of the country.

The helicopter, a Merlin Mk4, crashed in an open field near a military training area. Images show that only the tail of the aircraft is still recognizable. The British Navy is investigating the cause of the accident.

The Merlin helicopter is used for, among other things, combating enemy submarines and search and rescue operations.