Malaysian authorities on Wednesday recovered the bodies of five people who were aboard a medical helicopter that crashed a day earlier on the island of Borneo.
The helicopter crashed near the Long Lellang airstrip in northern Sarawak, a remote and inland area where health services are difficult to access. The Flying Doctor service is used to transport medical teams to isolated communities.
The victims are the pilot and four health workers. Authorities have begun the process of officially identifying the bodies, while the causes of the accident remain unclear.
Investigators are also examining atmospheric conditions, as Sarawak has been blanketed in dense fog caused by forest fires in neighboring Indonesia in recent weeks.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and urged citizens to avoid speculation until the investigation is complete. The government has guaranteed support for the families, while Sarawak authorities have also announced financial assistance and covering school fees for the children of the victims.
