A US Marine was killed and 11 others injured when their helicopter made a "hard landing" during training at the Camp Lejeune base in North Carolina.

A US Marine was killed and 11 others injured when their helicopter made a "hard landing" during training at the Camp Lejeune base in North Carolina, military officials said Thursday.

The Marine Corps did not immediately provide details about what caused the late Wednesday crash, which involved a CH-53E helicopter.

One Marine was pronounced dead at the naval 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 released or about to be released, 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.

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.

The incident was under investigation and no additional information was immediately available.