Five people have died after a Flying Doctor Service helicopter crashed at a remote airfield in Sarawak, on the Malaysian island of Borneo.
The BO-105 helicopter crashed on Tuesday afternoon, about 195 miles southeast of Miri, killing everyone on board.
Local disaster management officials said the victims included the pilot, a doctor, a medical assistant and two nurses.
Videos shared on social media showed the helicopter producing thick smoke shortly before it crashed.
Malaysia’s Flying Doctor Service provides medical care to indigenous communities living in remote parts of the country, where dense jungles and difficult terrain can make road access extremely challenging.
Medical teams regularly use helicopters and small aircraft to travel to isolated villages and traditional longhouses for monthly or bi-monthly healthcare visits.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia said an air accident investigation team would travel to the crash site on Wednesday to determine what caused the accident.
Officials said the cause of the crash remains unknown, with investigations expected to establish whether a mechanical fault or another factor was responsible.
