Five feared dead after medical helicopter crashes at airport in Malaysia

Five feared dead after medical helicopter crashes at airport in Malaysia A Flying Doctor Service helicopter carrying five people crashed in the Sarawak district of Borneo on Tuesday - this is a breaking story Five medical personnel are feared dead after a helicopter crash in the Malaysian part of Borneo. The BO-105 helicopter went down near Long Lellang STOLport (short take-off and landing airport) in Sarawak on Tuesday. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said it was informed of the incident by the Flight Information Service at 3.58pm local time (8.58am BST). The helicopter was operating a Flying Doctor Service flight when the incident occurred, CAAM said. The Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Transport Ministry will investigate the incident. CAAM did not provide any details on the condition of the five people believed to be on board. Deputy Minister Datuk Gerawat Gala confirmed the incident and said he had alerted Layang-Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd, the company operating the helicopter for the Flying Doctor Service. “I have been informed about the helicopter crash in Long Lellang. I have also informed the managing pilot of Layang-Layang, and I am sure they will alert the necessary search and rescue authorities,” he said. Gala said he could not confirm whether there were any fatalities or how many people were on board the helicopter. He said the helicopter was travelling towards Long Lellang when the crash occurred, although he was unable to confirm its point of departure. The Flying Doctor Service (FDS) was introduced as a pilot project in Sarawak in 1973 to strengthen healthcare provision in difficult-to-reach areas.