Elmina crash: Search operation at location 95 per cent completed - IGP

SHAH ALAM - The search operation at the location of the plane crash on the Guthrie Highway near Elmina Town here yesterday is 95 per cent completed.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said that security personnel are currently doing the last touch-up to detect the remaining pieces of the victim's body at the scene.

"We have found 15 human remains of 10 bodies and recovered, from these human remains, about 21 personal items like watches, money and bags," he told a press conference at the scene of the crash today.

Razarudin said the human remains had been sent to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) Klang for post-mortem to match with the DNA samples provided by the 22 next-of-kin of the victims concerned.

Meanwhile, Razarudin said the police hoped to clear up the crash site, covering 11,000 square metres on the road, of pieces of the plane wreckage by this afternoon for the benefit of residents in the area.

"To clear the road, we have the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (BSKU) Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) from PDRM, as well as the assistance from the Fire and Rescue Department, the Civil Defence Force and the General Operations Force," he said.

When asked about the plane's black box, Razarudin confirmed that a cockpit voice recording was found at about 10 pm yesterday and would be analysed by BSKU.

Meanwhile, he said following an investigation, it was found that the driver of the car involved in the tragedy had cancelled a booking by a customer a 2 pm, which is before the incident.

"The car driver 'rejected' the passenger at 2 pm. We suspect the driver is alone, but we will know whether there were others after the DNA test," he said and urged those with footage on the incident to come forward to assist in the investigation.

A total of 10 victims were confirmed dead in the incident including Pahang Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Datuk Seri Johari Harun.

Eight of the victims were six passengers and two crew aboard the light aircraft, while the other two were a motorcyclist and a car driver who happened to be passing by the crash site.

The ill-fated aircraft was on its way from Langkawi to Subang and had been cleared to land at 2.48 pm.

In KLANG, it was a sombre morning as 30 family members and relatives of the crash victims started to arrive at the grounds of the Forensic Department, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) to identify and claim their loved ones.

Their arrival at around 9.50 am was greeted by the hospital officers on duty who then led them to the tents that had been set up in front of the department for the process of identifying and claiming the bodies of the victims.

A survey by Bernama at the location found that three tents had been set up in the area and the surrounding area is covered to protect the privacy of the relatives of the victims involved. - BERNAMA