Helicopter tragedy: Victims’ post-mortems expected to be completed on April 24 afternoon

Saturday 18 May 2024

IPOH (April 23): The post-mortems of 10 victims of the tragedy of two helicopters colliding near the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) base in Lumut, currently being carried out at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here, are expected to be completed by Wednesday (April 24) afternoon.

Deputy medical director (I) Dr Liaw Kok Toon, assuming the duties of the hospital’s director, said that the hospital received the remains of 10 victims for the post-mortem procedure at its forensic department at about 6pm on Tuesday.

“The post-mortem examination has started, and is expected to be completed tomorrow afternoon,” he said in a statement here on Tuesday.

He said that the hospital had requested the cooperation of all parties to give it space, so as to ensure that the post-mortem procedure and victim identification by its forensic department could be carried out smoothly, in addition to respecting the privacy of the victims’ families and next of kin.

All remains were sent to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital, after going through the identification process by the next of kin at the Malaysian Armed Forces Hospital Lumut on Tuesday afternoon.

The tragedy, involving a Maritime Operations Helicopter (HOM-AW139) and a Fennec (M502-6) aircraft, occurred at 9.32am on Tuesday, during a fly-past training in conjunction with TLDM’s 90th anniversary, scheduled early next month. The collision had killed 10 TLDM officers and personnel, including three women.

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