JAKARTA: Malaysian Patrick Kee is one among the eight victims who perished in a helicopter crash in West Kalimantan, according to reports.
Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) deputy for operations and preparedness, Edy Prakoso, said the Malaysian was among six passengers on board the ill-fated helicopter, which also carried two crew members, a pilot and a technician.
"One of the victims is a foreign national from Malaysia," he said, according to Antara News Agency, on Friday (April 17).
Edy said the process of handing over the remains to families is currently underway following identification procedures.
Indonesian civil aviation director General Lukman F. Laisa in a statement said the Malaysian was identified as Patrick K.
Other victims were identified as Capt Marindra W (pilot), Harun Arasyid (technician) and five passengers, Victor T., Charles L, Joko C, Fauzie O and Sugito.
The helicopter, operated by Matthew Air Nusantara, took off at 7.34am local time on Thursday (April 16) from Melawi Regency and was reported to have lost contact at 8.39am while en route to Kubu Raya Regency in West Kalimantan.
Meanwhile, Basarnas director of preparedness, Noer Isrodin, said all the bodies had been evacuated and transported to Bhayangkara Hospital in Pontianak for identification.
Indonesian authorities said the cause of the crash has yet to be determined, while a preliminary report is expected within 30 days, Bernama reported
Meanwhile, a local news portal reported Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan as saying that the Malaysian Consulate in Pontianak, together with the victim's family, is arranging for the victim's remains to be repatriated to Malaysia.
Astro Awani quoted West Kalimantan police medical division chief Dr Subur MH as saying that the Malaysian victim was identified as Patrick Kee Chuan Peng.
He said Kee was the chief operating officer of KPN Plantation based in Jakarta.
