Heli-crash school set to re-open soon

KUALA LUMPUR: Most of the wreckage of the Nuri helicopter that crashed at SMK Balung in Tawau, Sabah, has been removed from the school.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan said the clean-up of the crash site was almost complete.

“Ministry officials are on the ground and updating us on the progress,” he said after the closing ceremony of the High Performing School Head Teacher International Conference 2016 yesterday.

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) personnel and other workers have been clearing the wreckage since Wednesday morning; they started by removing the front and tail sections.

Kamalanathan said the school must re-open on Monday so that students sitting for the Form Three Assessment exam are not affected. The exam runs from Monday to Thursday.

As for the damage to the school, he said this was being evaluated and the ministry was waiting for the report, “so we can start putting things back in order”.

He said counsellors were sent to help any students affected by the incident.

The crash happened on Tuesday morning; 10 RMAF personnel and five students were injured.