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Five people, including a pilot and four medical workers, were killed when a helicopter operated by Malaysia’s Flying Doctor Service crashed at a remote airfield in Sarawak on Tuesday.
The BO-105 helicopter went down in inland Sarawak, about 315 kilometres (195 miles) southeast of Miri, disaster management officials said.
“All five on board are deceased,” Miri disaster management chairman Galong Luang said in a statement, citing confirmation from the Fire and Rescue Department and the Ministry of Health.
The victims included a doctor, a medical assistant and two nurses, according to local media.
Social media footage showed the helicopter emitting smoke shortly before it crashed. The cause of the accident remains unknown.
A Malaysian air crash investigation team is expected to reach the site today, September 9, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia said.
Malaysia’s Flying Doctor Service provides essential healthcare to indigenous communities in remote areas where dense jungles and difficult terrain make road access difficult. Medical teams regularly travel by helicopter or small aircraft to villages and longhouses.