Five British occupation troops were killed Saturday in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, in what appeared to be a "tragic accident", the Ministry of Defence in London said.

Five British occupation troops were killed Saturday in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, in what appeared to be a "tragic accident", the Ministry of Defence in London said.

The Lynx helicopter crashed during a routine flight in Kandahar province killing three members of the Army Air Corps, a member of the Royal Air Force and an army reservist with military intelligence who were all on board, the ministry said.