KUCHING, May 7 ― A preliminary report of a helicopter crash in Sarawak with six onboard will be released within a month, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said today.

He also said investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash, where three bodies have been discovered by search authorities so far.

“The mission today will cover an area of 875 kilometre square feet. Yesterday, we covered about 2,850 kilometre square feet,” Liow told a press conference here.

About 274 personnel from various governmental agencies have been roped in to search for the remaining bodies and wreckage, he said.

Twenty-four divers from the Royal Malaysian Police will be joining in the search today, joining seven divers from the Royal Malaysian Navy that were deployed yesterday.

The five Malaysians aboard the Eurocopter AS350 were Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister and Sungai Besar MP Datuk Noriah Kasnon, whose body was found yesterday; her 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; and bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun. The pilot Captain Rudolf Rex Ragas was a Filipino.

According to Liow, six helicopters, two helicopters from Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM), two from PDRM, one from Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) and one from Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) are involved in the search operation.

Fifteen ships and boats — four from Bomba, four from APMM, three from the Civil Defence Department (JPAM), three from PDRM, one from Lembaga Sungai-Sungai Sarawak — as well as 12 land vehicles, five four wheel drives, three lories, four ambulance vans from JPAM have been deployed.

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 en route from Betong to Kuching during campaigning for today’s Sarawak state election.