Six US soldiers died after two US army helicopters crashed during an exercise off Hawaii last night.
Nine other soldiers were injured in the crash. Two escaped unhurt.
There were 17 soldiers on the two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, but an army spokeswoman could not confirm reports that the helicopters had collided. Local media reports said the crash occurred during heavy rain.
The helicopters were taking part in the annual Lightning Thrust Warrior exercises of the Army's 25th Infantry Division, a light aviation brigade. The exercise involved 30 helicopters ferrying nearly 1,000 soldiers from Wheeler Army Airfield in Oahu to a base in Kahuku, Hawaii.
Last Friday a Japanese trawler was struck by a surfacing US submarine off Diamond Head, Hawaii. Nine people on board the trawler are still missing.
Reuters