The body was discovered about 10km from Lingga SAR operation centre.

State Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Farhan Sufyan Borhan said more information regarding the body will be released soon.

Search teams yesterday located the body of Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon along with debris thought to be from the helicopter.

Over 60 personnel from the Special Tactical Operation Rescue Malaysia (STORM), Fire and Rescue Department, Multi Unit Skill Team (MUST), Water Rescue Team (PPDA), and paramedics continued the search early this morning.

Noriah, whose body was retrieved from the banks of the Batang Lupar river yesterday, was buried this morning.

Others on the flight included Noriah’s husband, Asmuni Abdullah; the ministry’s secretary-general, Datuk Dr Sundaran Annamalai; Kuala Kangsar MP and Malaysian Palm Oil Board chairman Datuk Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad; bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun; and the pilot Captain Rudolf Rex Ragas, a Filipino. Both Noriah and Wan Mohammad Khairil were from Umno.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said yesterday it is narrowing its search for the downed helicopter to a 4km radius of the Batang Lupar river mouth near Sebuyau.

The Eurocopter AS350 disappeared Thursday enroute from Betong to Kuching during campaigning for today’s Sarawak state election.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday that the flight path taken by the helicopter was a safe route, but weather conditions had been poor.