Five survive helicopter crash in Marudi

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The helicopter crashed through the trees and landed upside down, with its passengers miraculously unhurt in the incident.

MIRI: A Sabah Air Bell 206 helicopter with five people on board, including two personnel of the Survey and Mapping Department (Jupem), has crashed in Marudi this evening.

It was learnt that all those on board survived the crash after the helicopter fell through trees and ended up upside down in the incident at about 4.10pm.

The helicopter was reportedly headed to the Jupem base camp from Marudi before it crashed.

The pilot was reported to have contacted the control tower in Marudi Airport that it was two minutes from landing before the helicopter went down.

The survivors were said to have freed themselves from the wreckage and had walked to the Jupem base camp which was set up to facilitate border survey work.

The passengers managed to extricate themselves and walked back to Jupem base camp.

Miri Bomba Zone 6 chief Law Poh Kiong said he was informed that all the survivors had been brought from the camp to Marudi by vehicle.

He said this when asked if a search and rescue operation was mounted due to the incident.

Meanwhile, State Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas when contacted at about 10pm said he had heard about it but has yet to be officially informed by the relevant authorities.

He said his officer is checking on the case and will duly inform him.