Sundaran's body second to be recovered from heli crash site: Najib

KUCHING: The second body recovered from the site of Thursday's helicopter crash in Sarawak has been identified as that of Datuk Dr Sundaran Annamalai, secretary-general of the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry.

This was disclosed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak who said the identification was carried out by forensic specialists at the Sarawak General Hospital here today.

"The second body was found at 8.34am in the Batang Lupar (River) in Lingga. The body has been identified as that of Datuk Dr Sundaran from fingerprints and personal paraphernalia on the body," he told reporters at the hospital after visiting family members of those who were on board the ill-fated helicopter.

Also present were Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Karim.

Sundaran's body, with the safety belt still fastened, was brought to the hospital at about 11am for a post mortem and identification by family members.
The body of Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon was recovered yesterday.

Four other people were also on board the ill-fated helicopter, namely Noriah's husband Asmuni Abdullah, Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Wan Muhammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, Noriah's bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun and Filipino pilot Rudolf Rex Ragas.

The Eurocopter AS350 helicopter went down in Batang Lupar as it was flying from Betong to Kuching. — Bernama