A police personnel was severely hurt, while four others suffered minor injuries when the helicopter they were in crashed at the General Operations Force's (GOF) 14th Battalion camp here, last night. - NSTP/ ABDUL RAHEMANG TAIMING
By Abdul Rahemang Taiming - February 28, 2020 @ 9:54am
NEW STRAITS TIMES
TAWAU: A police personnel was severely hurt, while four others suffered minor injuries when the helicopter they were in crashed at the General Operations Force's (GOF) 14th Battalion camp here, last night.
The severely injured was identified as Sergeant Wedrich Sindih, 34, who is being treated in the red zone of the district hospital’s emergency department.
“There were five policemen and a technician in the chopper when it crashed.
“The severely injured personnel was trapped, while the remaining passengers managed to exit the helicopter by themselves.
“Personnel from the district Fire and Rescue Department extricated Wedrich from the aircraft at 8.43pm, before he was handed to medical personnel,” the district Fire and Rescue department said in a statement.
The other five passengers on the helicopter were Sergeant Mohamad Radzie Radaie, 40; ASP Shaike Faiqzal Johari, 34; DSP Norhashim Ahmad, 44; Corporal Andyrian Shah Mohd Saufi, 33; and technician Harry Joinin, 36.
The department said it received a distress call at 8.02pm informing them that the force’s Augusta Westland (AW139 model) helicopter crashed while landing at the camp here.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Peter Umbuas said a control centre has been set up at the crash site to facilitate investigations into the accident.
"The personnel were in a routine operation, flying from Lahad Datu to Tawau airport (and were to spend) the night at the camp.
"However, when it was attempting to land, (the pilot) lost control and the chopper hit the roof of an administrative building before crashing,” he said.
Peter added that the cause of the accident is under investigation.
The Augusta Westland helicopter was handed to the police on April 18 last year.
TAWAU: A police personnel was severely hurt, while four others suffered minor injuries when the helicopter they were in crashed at the General Operations Force's (GOF) 14th Battalion camp here, last night.
The severely injured was identified as Sergeant Wedrich Sindih, 34, who is being treated in the red zone of the district hospital’s emergency department.
“There were five policemen and a technician in the chopper when it crashed.
“The severely injured personnel was trapped, while the remaining passengers managed to exit the helicopter by themselves.
“Personnel from the district Fire and Rescue Department extricated Wedrich from the aircraft at 8.43pm, before he was handed to medical personnel,” the district Fire and Rescue department said in a statement.
The other five passengers on the helicopter were Sergeant Mohamad Radzie Radaie, 40; ASP Shaike Faiqzal Johari, 34; DSP Norhashim Ahmad, 44; Corporal Andyrian Shah Mohd Saufi, 33; and technician Harry Joinin, 36.
The department said it received a distress call at 8.02pm informing them that the force’s Augusta Westland (AW139 model) helicopter crashed while landing at the camp here.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Peter Umbuas said a control centre has been set up at the crash site to facilitate investigations into the accident.
"The personnel were in a routine operation, flying from Lahad Datu to Tawau airport (and were to spend) the night at the camp.
"However, when it was attempting to land, (the pilot) lost control and the chopper hit the roof of an administrative building before crashing,” he said.
Peter added that the cause of the accident is under investigation.
The Augusta Westland helicopter was handed to the police on April 18 last year.
