Massive search to locate Sarawak assistant minister and six others
MIRI: A massive round-the-clock search and rescue operation has been mounted in a frantic effort to locate Sarawak Assistant Minister Dr Judson Tagal and six others whose fate remains unknown since their helicopter went missing in the jungles of the Sabah-Sarawak-Kalimantan border on Monday afternoon.
The search involves six aircraft and more than 500 people from the armed forces and police. Some 300 villagers are also helping to comb the mountainous and heavily forested terrain.
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SEARCH AND RESCUE: Members of the General Operations Force boarding a helicopter on a mission to locate Dr Tagal and six other missing persons. |
The operation, launched from several different bases in Sarawak and Sabah, is conducted from different centres:
·MIRI to coordinate personnel and supply of equipment and food;
·BARIO and Bakelalan (ground search and foot patrols);
·KOTA KINABALU (DCA rescue coordination centre); and
·LABUAN (air force).
Indonesian villagers living in Kalimantan near the border have also joined in, in case the Bell 206 long-range helicopter may be there.
Deputy Chief Minister (I) Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, together with staff of the Department of Civil Aviation, personnel from Hornbill Skyways (company that owned the helicopter) and rescue personnel from the General Operations Force have stationed themselves in Bario, a highland village located near Kalimantan.
Dr Chan left for Bario yesterday morning after hearing news that locals there and in Bakelalan had come across what seemed to be a helicopter that had landed in a valley.
“Medical teams have been put on standby in Bario also. The air search and rescue operation is being coordinated from Sabah. On the Sarawak side, we are reinforcing the effort with ground personnel and equipment,” he said.
Six aircraft are being used in the missions – an RMAF Nuri, two police air wing helicopters, two Hornbill helicopters and another from Malaysian Helicopter Service. Hornbill is an aviation company owned by the state government.
The air search missions started early yesterday, but were called off at about 4pm when weather conditions worsened in the interior.
Ground search would continue non-stop until efforts to locate the seven bear results, said state Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Communication Development Lee Kim Shin, who is helping to coordinate the Miri operations centre.
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