Third victim's clothing intact, had identity documents
The SAR team lifting the body of the third victim earlier today. - Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department
The clothing of the third victim in Thursday's helicopter tragedy in Lingga near here were intact and there were identity documents on him, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
He said the body was found floating in the Batang Lupar river at 12.04pm, not far from where the body of the first victim was found yesterday.
"Let police announce the identity of the victim," he told a press conference here.
He said a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency boat which was part of the search and rescue mission found the body.
Earlier, a Fire and Rescue Department spokesman had said that the third body was found about a kilometre from where the body of the first victim, Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon, was found.
Shahidan said to smoothen the SAR mission, he as the minister responsible for disaster management, would rent boats from the locals to assist the operation.
Noriah was travelling with her husband Asmuni Abdullah, Kuala Kangsar MP and Malaysian Palm Oil Board member Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Sundaran Annamalai, her bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun and the pilot Captain Rudolf Rex Ragas.
The helicopter took off from Betong enroute to Kuching at 4.12pm on Thursday but lost contact with the control tower three minutes later.
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