The pilot of the ill-fated Eurocopter AS350, Captain Rudolf Rex Ragas, remains the only person still listed as missing following the recovery of all five passengers’ bodies.

Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said five bodies have been found as of Saturday, beginning with the body of Datuk Noriah Kasnon on Friday and ending with Datuk Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad.

He also disclosed that new debris, in the form of an unidentified cushion – believed to have originated from the helicopter – as well as the craft’s tail boom, were found near Pulau Triso and Sungai Merah at Batang Lupar respectively around 9.45am yesterday by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) personnel.

“All five bodies have been identified through post mortem and have already been flown back to their respective hometowns (for burial and cremation),” he said during a press conference at DCA headquarters here yesterday.

The bodies found were those of Datuk Noriah Kasnon, Datuk Dr Sundaran Annamalai, Ahmad Sobri Haron, Asmuni Abdullah and Datuk Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad.

The identities of Asmuni and Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar were announced early yesterday morning by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein at the Sarawak General Hospital mortuary following the completion of the post mortem.

Their bodies were found by rescuers at 3.20pm and 6pm respectively on Saturday, along with the bodies of Dr Sundaran and Ahmad Sobri which were found earlier the same day.

Noriah’s body was the first one found at 12.05pm on Friday.

On the search and rescue (SAR) efforts, Azharuddin said some 650 personnel from various agencies were scheduled yesterday to comb 870 square kilometres along Sg Batang Lupar, between Lingga and Sebuyau, in the hope of locating the Filipino pilot and the wreckage.

“We have three helicopters, 20 boats and vessels and also land vehicles from all agencies as well as local villagers involved in the SAR.

“We are also using metal detectors to locate the wreckage. When a signal is received, there are 38 divers from the police, navy and Civil Defence Department on standby to go underwater to search.”

On the possibility that the pilot’s body is trapped inside the helicopter wreckage, Azharuddin said he did not want to speculate on the matter, and called on others not to do so either out of respect to the victims’ next-of-kin following claims on social media that the downed chopper might have been overloaded.

“Please do not speculate and let investigators determine the cause of the crash. As mentioned previously by the minister (Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai), the preliminary report will be ready one month from the date of the crash,” he added.

The Eurocopter AS350 piloted by Captain Rudolf vanished from radar along Sg Batang Lupar in the Sebuyau-Lingga area at 4.32pm on Thursday while travelling from Betong to Kuching.

The passengers onboard were Noriah, who was Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) deputy minister, Malaysian Palm Oil Board chairman Wan Muhammad Khairil Anuar, MPIC secretary general Dr Sundaran, Noriah’s husband Asmuni and her bodyguard Ahmad Sobri.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Gary Adit

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