The helicopter which crashed in Cameron Highlands.- Picture from Bomba Dan Penyelamat Negeri Pahang.
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: All six victims of a helicopter crash near Bukit Kinta Forest Reserve at the Perak border were brought out of the forest safely and taken to hospital for treatment.
The five passengers, three females and two males, are staff members of the Kinta Health District Office Air Unit, and included a doctor.
The male pilot has been identified as Capt Fedzrol Norazam.
They were brought to Hospital Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom here to be treated for injuries.
Perak police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said the five passengers were identified as Dr Munirah Abd Rahman, 53; Zainurol Fazlan Zainudin,40; Muhamad Azlan Hanifah,31; Norhasikin Abu Seman, 38; and Hashilawati Hussin,43.
He said two victims sustained severe injuries.
Four of the victims could walk out of the forest with the assistance of rescuers , while two needed to be carried using stretchers, he added.
“When the team reached the site at about 3pm, all the victims had come out of the helicopter on their own. They made emergency calls to get help,” he said at the district office here last night.
The first victim, the pilot, was brought out at 5.30pm, followed by the last at about 8.40pm, he said.
Comm Mohd Yusri said the helicopter was heading back to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak from Kampung Gawin in Gua Musang, Kelantan, when the incident happened at about 1pm.
He said the team was in Gua Musang to carry out community services.
Comm Mohd Yusri said police had yet to record statements from the pilot and victims.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin confirmed that the six were from the Kinta District Health Department.
“The latest developments will be updated from time to time,” he said in a statement.
He said the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Team as the first responder team reached the scene and tried to bring down all the victims.
The minister is scheduled to visit the crash victims in Ipoh today.
