Washington:
A US Marine was killed and 11 others injured when their helicopter made a "hard landing" during training at a US military base, officials said Thursday.
The incident at the Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina occurred during an exercise in which about 20 Marines were required to exit a helicopter on a suspended rope as the aircraft hovered over a landing zone, the Marine Corps said in a statement.
Officials did not immediately provide additional details about what caused the late Wednesday crash, which involved a CH-53E helicopter.
One Marine was pronounced dead at the hospital at Camp Lejeune.
"The command's priorities are to make contact with the families of the involved Marines as quickly as possible to provide them with the status of their loved ones," spokeswoman Captain Kendra Motz said in a statement.
A hard landing is when an aircraft hits the ground with more speed than normal, typically after a rapid or steep descent.
Eleven other Marines were also hospitalized. Nine were discharged, while two were in stable condition.
In March, seven Marines and four air crew from the Louisiana National Guard were killed after their Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a night training exercise in Florida.
In May, a Marine was killed and 21 others required hospital treatment after their MV-22 Osprey aircraft made a hard landing during training in Hawaii.
Camp Lejeune is the Marine Corps' main base on the East Coast.
The CH-53E helicopter is used by the Marines for heavy lifts and transporting material and supplies.