KUALA LUMPUR: A helicopter operated by Malaysia’s flying doctor service crashed near an airport in the state of Sarawak on Borneo Island, with five people, including medical personnel, on board, officials said Tuesday.
According to the British news agency, the helicopter crashed near an airport in Sarawak. Malaysian authorities have not yet confirmed any fatalities.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said preliminary information indicated that the helicopter was carrying a pilot and several Health Ministry employees, including a medical officer, an assistant medical officer and nurses.
The health minister said authorities had yet to determine the condition of the crew and passengers or the cause of the crash.
Firefighters and medical teams were conducting search-and-rescue operations at the crash site, officials said.
Malaysia’s flying doctor service provides medical care, emergency assistance and other health services to people living in rural and remote areas, where access to hospitals and other medical facilities can be limited.
Earlier, An Amazon Air cargo jet crashed at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon after overrunning the runway, striking several vehicles and catching fire, killing five people and injuring five others as the airport faced heavy Labor Day weekend traffic.
The Boeing 767-300 crashed shortly before 2 p.m. after departing Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The flight was operated by North Carolina-based charter company 21 Air.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Raied “Ray” Jadallah said three of the five injured people were in critical condition and were taken to a trauma center, while two others were transported to a local hospital. Several people trapped inside or beneath vehicles hit by the plane had to be extricated by rescue crews.
More than 200 firefighters responded to the crash. Fire crews found the aircraft engulfed in flames and producing heavy smoke, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. The fire was extinguished, although a fuel leak remained at the scene.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said emergency crews reached the crash site within seconds.
