At least 10 people were killed after a small jet aircraft crashed into a highway near Shah Alam in the Malaysian state of Selangor Thursday afternoon (Aug 17). Among the dead is a local politician named Johari Harun.
According to Shah Alam district police chief Mohamad Iqbal Ibrahim, eight of those killed were aboard the plane, while a car driver and a motorcyclist also perished on the ground.
Local authorities added the private plane was traveling from the resort island of Langkawi to Subang airport in Selangor, with the crash happening just before it was due to land, Singapore-based broadcaster CNA reported.
The bodies of all the deceased were transported to Klang Hospital in Selangor for identification.
Fire on the Highway
Malaysia's civil aviation authority (CAAM) said the aircraft, a Beechcraft Model 390 operated by Jet Valet, a Malaysian private jet services company, made first contact with Subang Air Traffic Control Tower at 14:47 local time (06:47 UTC) and landing clearance was given a minute later.
"At 2:51 pm [06:51 UTC], the Subang Air Traffic Control Tower observed smoke originating from the crash site but no mayday call was made by the aircraft," CAAM CEO Norazman Mahmud said in a statement.
Norazman later added in a press conference that initial findings revealed the plane was airworthy and it had all the relevant registrations and licenses needed to fly. He also said the two pilots that perished aboard were experienced.
Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan told reporters the aircraft lost contact with the air traffic control tower and crashed into a motorbike and a car on the highway.
"There was no emergency call, the aircraft had been given clearance to land," he added.
Plane's Black Box Not Yet Found, MY Transport Minister Says
Meanwhile, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke told reporters Thursday evening authorities are still searching for the plane's flight recorder. He further declined to speculate the cause of the crash as investigations are continuing as of this report.
Several photos and videos on social media detailed how the plane exploded when it crashed into the road, as well as the fire and smoke it left in the aftermath.
Local politicians also expressed their condolences to the family of the deceased politician on social media.
