Plane crashes on an expressway in Kuala Lumpur, at least 10 reported dead

At least 10 people have been reported dead after a charter flight crashes on an expressway north of Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. The flight which was carrying six passengers and two flight crew members departed from Langkawi International Airport and was headed to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia said in a statement.

“First contact made by the aircraft with Subang Air Traffic Control Tower was at 2.47 p.m. [local time (2.47 a.m. ET)] and landing clearance was given at 2:48pm,” according to the statement. At 2.51 p.m. local time, the “Control Tower observed smoke originating from the crash site but no mayday call was made by the aircraft,” the statement added.

The country’s aviation authority said that the aircraft had been operated by Jet Valet Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian private jet services company. Pilot Shahrul Kamal Roslan who was flying the Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) aircraft is survived by his wife and four sons, was one of the victims of the crash.  Outside the hospital, Mr Shahrul’s 67-year-old mother Mahanum told local media in tears that when they last talked, her son told her: “I love you, mama.” Among the dead was 53-year-old Johari Harun, a senior politician in the government of the central state of Pahang. His aide was also killed.

According to the state newspaper Berita Herian, the plane crashed into a car and a motorcycle, each carrying one individual, citing Selangor Police Head Hussein Omar Khan. “Forensic personnel are in the process of collecting the remains and will bring them to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang for a post-mortem examination and identification process,” Khan said, adding that the Ministry of Transport will conduct an investigation into the incident. Police announced later that the black box cockpit voice recorder had been recovered.  

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said in a press conference that the ministry is currently conducting an investigation into the crash. He added that no one has survived the crash but the bodies found on the road have yet to be confirmed and have been sent for forensic confirmation and that more details will be released in due time.  

A witness told Reuters that he had been working on site as an engineer when he heard an explosion. He went to where the crash happened and saw injured people. Mohamad Syahmie Mohamad Hashim, a former member of the Malaysian Air Force, told AFP that he saw the plane flying erratically.

“Not long after that I heard a loud boom,” he said. “I sped towards the location and saw the remains of an aircraft. I couldn’t do anything.” Videos and images of the scene taken by Malaysian media showed a burnt section of the highway cordoned off, with smoke in the air.

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