IPOH, Sept 19 — The wife of the pilot who died in a helicopter crash in Chikus Forest Reserve, Bidor recently, has claimed the body of the deceased at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital Forensic Department here today.

The victim’s wife who was accompanied by a woman arrived in a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) at about 10.40am while the deceased’s body was taken out of the forensic department at 11.15am this morning.

Meanwhile, the deceased’s wife, who only wanted to be known as Leung, said she would hold Tsz Kin Richard Chan’s cremation in Ipoh and the ashes of the deceased would be brought back to Hong Kong before being enshrined according to a religious ceremony.

Leung who was met by reporters, however refused to reveal further where the cremation was held.

In the incident, Hong Kong pilot Tsz Kin Richard Chan, 58, died in a helicopter crash in the Chikus Forest Reserve on September 11.

Earlier, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong was reported to have said that a Eurocopter EC120B aircraft belonging to a private company failed to be contacted after taking off from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang.

Richard Chan was flying a Eurocopter EC120B from Subang to Ipoh when he lost radio contact with the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre (KLATCC) at 12.16pm with the last reported location being around a forest area near Bidor.

The helicopter was supposed to land at Sultan Azlan Shah Airport here at 12.37pm after departing from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang at 11.37am.

In the meantime, a commotion broke out near the HRPB Forensic Department when a group of journalists were prevented from approaching the building and were only allowed to stand at the fence.

To make matters worse, every movement of the journalists was being closely watched by the security guards, to the extent of being escorted to the toilets.

Frustrated, more than 10 members of the press also lodged their complaints to the state health department and the hospital so as to find the best solution to such obstruction and to facilitate news coverage in the future. — Bernama