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A government-owned medical helicopter crashed in Malaysia’s eastern Sarawak state, killing all five people on board, including four medical workers.
The helicopter, operated under the country’s Flying Doctor Service program, crashed on Tuesday near Long Lellang Short Take-Off and Landing Airport in a remote area of Sarawak.
Malaysia’s Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said preliminary information indicated that the aircraft was carrying a pilot and four Health Ministry employees traveling on official duty. They included a doctor, a medical assistant and two nurses. The team had been traveling to provide medical services to remote communities.
Local disaster management officials later confirmed that all five people aboard the helicopter had died. The victims’ identities have not yet been released.
Malaysia’s Flying Doctor Service plays an important role in delivering medical assistance to Sarawak’s vast and sparsely populated interior, particularly on the island of Borneo, where road access is limited.
Search and body recovery efforts faced serious difficulties because of thick haze in the area. Sarawak police said poor visibility made it impossible to use aircraft during the operation, forcing rescuers to travel to the crash site by road.
Officials said the crash site is in a remote area and takes about 10 hours to reach by land.
The cause of the crash has not yet been disclosed. Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Authority said the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Transport Ministry had launched an investigation.
The crash occurred as Sarawak was dealing with haze caused by forest fires in neighboring Indonesia. Air quality has deteriorated in some parts of the state in recent weeks, and officials are closely monitoring pollution levels.
Officials said further information would be released as the investigation continues.
