Nine people have died after two US Army helicopters crashed on Wednesday night in the state of Kentucky, officials confirmed.

The incident involved the 101st Airborne Division and happened during a training mission near a military base.

Military officials confirmed nine service members died in the incident, saying it was a “truly tragic loss”.

The crash happened at around 22:00 local time (02:00 GMT), close to Fort Campbell military base.

It is unclear what caused the crash and an investigation into what happened is under way.

In a statement to BBC News earlier, a US Army spokesperson said two HH60 Blackhawk helicopters crashed during “a routine training mission”.

“The command is currently focused on caring for the service members and their families.”

Police and emergency services attended the scene on Thursday morning

Asked by the BBC if the two helicopters had flown into each other, the spokesperson said it “was unable to confirm specifics at this time”.

According to the US Army’s website, the 101st Airborne Division is its only air assault division and has been sent to conflict zones internationally.