Three paratroopers drowned and five were injured during a training exercise for an airshow on the resort island of Langkawi on Sunday, the air force said.

The victims were among 138 paratroopers practising a mock "seizure" of Langkawi's airport planned for the airshow's opening ceremony on Tuesday, when strong winds blew them off course and out to sea.

"Due to the uncertainty of the wind some of the jumpers were out of range from the proposed landing point so the search and rescue team was activated," said Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) spokesman Zulkiflee Abdul Latiff.

"All were rescued except the three who died and the five injured," he told AFP , adding that they had been supposed to land on the airfield.

The state news agency Bernama said the bodies were taken to Langkawi hospital which was guarded by military personnel.

The show will go on

The Langkawi International Maritime and Airspace (LIMA) 2007 exhibition which runs December 4-8 is being held on the vacation island of Langkawi.

Organisers said the airshow and exhibition would go ahead as scheduled despite the tragedy.

"We are saddened by the incident," organising firm managing director Ahmad Dzuhri Abdul Wahab said according to Bernama , adding that infrastructure put in place for the show had enabled the rescue units to respond swiftly.