Fort Campbell, Kentucky: Nine people were killed in a crash involving two army Black Hawk helicopters in Kentucky, a military spokesperson said.

Nondice Thurman, a spokesperson for Fort Campbell, said on Thursday morning that the deaths happened the previous night in southwestern Kentucky during a routine training mission.

A statement from Fort Campbell says the two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, part of the 101st Airborne Division, crashed around 10pm (local time) on Wednesday in Trigg County, Kentucky. The 101st Airborne confirmed the crash about 48km northwest of Fort Campbell. The crash is under investigation.

“Right now our focus is on the soldiers and their families who were involved,” the statement added. Kentucky governor Andy Beshear had said earlier that fatalities were expected.

“The crash occurred in a field, some wooded area,” police trooper Sarah Burgess said at a news briefing. Fort Campbell is located near the Tennessee border, about 97km northwest of Nashville.