MIRI: The five people killed in the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) helicopter crash near Long Lellang have been identified, with their remains to be flown to Miri for post-mortem examinations and DNA testing.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said the victims were initially identified through personal belongings found at the crash site.
The victims were pilot Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, 30; medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, 33; medical assistant Alexson Adit Henry, 31; staff nurse Debra Moset, 40; and staff nurse Jessie Paya Jok, 44.
The victims were pilot Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, 30; medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, 33; medical assistant Alexson Adit anak Henry, 31; staff nurse Debra anak Moset, 40; and staff nurse Jessie Paya Jok, 44.
They were on a Ministry of Health (MOH) Flying Doctor Service mission to provide healthcare to remote communities when the helicopter, registered as 9M-LLF, crashed at about 3.21pm yesterday while approaching the Long Lellang airstrip in Baram.
Mohamad Zainal said authorities received information about the crash at about 3.40pm, with all five victims found inside the burnt wreckage.
The helicopter had departed Miri at 10.21am and landed at Ba’ Lai at 11.39am before continuing to Long Siut in Selungo, where it landed at 1.50pm for refuelling.
It was then scheduled to fly to Long Lellang, where the crew and medical team were due to spend the night before continuing their FDS mission to Tanjong Durian today.
The recovery operation involved police forensic personnel, search and rescue teams and the Fire and Rescue Department’s STORM team from Miri.
Mohamad Zainal said the remote location posed a significant challenge, with road travel from Miri potentially taking up to 10 hours.
A total of 67 personnel from the police, Fire and Rescue Department, MOH, Malaysia Airports, Layang-Layang Aerospace, Civil Defence Force, General Operations Force and RELA were involved in the operation.
The operation was supported by four aircraft and five four-wheel-drive vehicles.
The aircraft was a BO 105 S (CBS 5), manufactured in Germany in 1991 and used to support MOH operations in Sarawak since 2009, serving communities in Miri, Bintulu, Limbang, Marudi and Bario.
The cause of the crash has yet to be established and investigations are ongoing.
