SUPP conveys condolence to crash victims’ families
Posted on July 24, 2012, Tuesday
MIRI: SUPP yesterday conveyed their condolence to the families of the three helicopter-crash victims for the tragic loss of their loved ones last Friday in Sebuyau.
Its publicity and information secretary Datuk Sebastian Ting said the party was saddened by the loss of three precious lives, and prayed that their families and loved ones would be strong in facing the untimely loss.
“SUPP wish to express our heartfelt condolence. Our prayers are with the families of the victims.”
In the incident, only the German pilot Captain Rico Steger survived when the Eurocopter E120 crashed. His three passengers — civil engineer Peter Ato Mayau, 53, quantity surveyor Siti Khuzaimah, 27, and architect Henry Loh, 42, drowned.
Their bodies were recovered on Saturday and Sunday by local fishermen.
The helicopter, which belonged to Sebiro Holdings Sdn Bhd, was on its way to Nanga Merit in Kapit when it went down at the mouth of Teriso River in Sebuyau, about 200km from here, on Friday morning.
They had wanted to visit a school project when it crashed at about 9.20am.
Steger managed to free himself and swam for four hours to reach the shore.
State PKR chief Baru Bian, who is also Ba Kelalan assemblyman, said last Sunday that he was shocked and deeply saddened by the death of Peter, who is also state PKR vice-chairman.
Peter was regarded by the party as a quiet but principled man who believed in the struggles for justice and fairness for the people, and he was tipped to contest in Mambong on a PKR ticket in the coming 13th general election.
Baru called on the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and the relevant authorities to look thoroughly into the overall safety of helicopter services in the state.
“There have been too many helicopter accidents in the past that should prompt the authorities to begin investigations into the safety procedures of air services,” he said.
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