Malaysian chopper crash: Body of Filipino pilot found

Body was found in Triso which is about 5.5km from the Lingga jetty.

A body believed to be that of the pilot of the Malaysian chopper that crashed in the Batang Lupar River last week has been found.

The Sarawak State police said the body was found in Triso which is about 5.5km from the Lingga jetty.

Sarawak police commissioner Mohammad Sabtu Osman said the identity of the body can be only determined by the forensics department of the Sarawak General Hospital. In order to complete the process of identification, the body will be flown from Lingga to Kuching.

Sabtu said the search from the debris of the crashed helicopter would continue.

Six people were killed in the crash on Thursday in Sarawak including Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon and ministry secretary-general Sundaran Annamalai. The other victims were Kuala Kangsar MP Wan Mohammad Khai-ril Anuar Wan Ahmad, Noriah's personal bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun, as well as the pilot, Capt Rudolf Rex Ragas.

The rescue teams had recovered five bodies as of Sunday. The search team was trying to recover the body of the Filipino pilot.

As per the initial reports, the helicopter took off from Betong at 4.12pm on Thursday but after 20 minutes it lost control with the Air traffic controllers. It was on its way to Kuching.

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