Police have called off the search for a light aircraft believed to have crashed into the sea near Tanjung Bungah until they get fresh information on the incident that is said to have taken place yesterday.
Northeast District Police chief ACP Soffian Santong said today the police and other agencies will resume the search and rescue (SAR) operation if there are new clues to back the claim by several people who were on the beach at 2 pm yesterday.
"After receiving information from the witnesses on the incident, we conducted a SAR operation and collected information from the public - two fishermen and a security guard - there who informed us that an object resembling a dark-coloured plane had plunged into the sea.
"The distance between the three witnesses, in their 50s, who saw the incident was about 20 metres. They claim to have seen an object the size of a matchbox crash into the sea near Pulau Keramat. The incident allegedly took place about 1.5 kilometres (km) to 5 km off the beach,'’ he told a press conference here.
He said the police also questioned a beach boy but he said he did not see any aircraft crash into the sea while Marine Police Force personnel monitoring the area said anglers and fishermen there at that time did not see anything either.
Based on an initial investigation, the three witnesses were consistent in their claim on what they had seen - an object with a balloon on its tail crash into the sea, he said, adding that the police will conduct further investigations into the report as they cannot, as yet, dismiss it as a false report.
He also said that the police have opened an investigation paper to probe the validity of the report made on the incident and his team will talk to more people who had been in the area then.
"The SAR operation until 6.30 pm yesterday did not find any clue, debris or the aircraft," he said.
Soffian said that until 11 am today, the police had not received any report from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) or any airline on the disappearance of a pilot or light aircraft.
"The police also checked with the CAAM and, until today, all planes that took off returned or arrived safely at their destinations. A yellow helicopter that was reported to have been seen before the time of the alleged incident near Penang waters also reached Subang safely. So, it was not the helicopter that originated from Kedah that was involved (crashed) in the incident," he said.
Soffian urged people who have information or saw the incident to come forward or channel the information to the police and not to speculate on it.
The police launched the SAR operation yesterday after receiving a report from a man saying that he and his friend saw a light aircraft crash into the sea near Tanjung Bungah.
A social media site had earlier viralled that a man lodged a police report on how he and a friend saw a light aircraft crash into the sea while they were on the beach in Tanjung Bungah.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Mon Sep 21 2020
The police have opened an investigation paper to probe the validity of the report made on the incident and his team will talk to more people who had been in the area then.
Olimpik Musim Sejuk Beijing terus beri manfaat sosial dan ekonomi - IOC
Meskipun sudah hampir setahun berlalu sejak temasya sukan itu berakhir, namun semua gelanggang untuk temasya itu masih dibuka untuk kegunaan orang awam dan atlet sukan tempatan.
Usul tidak tanding dua jawatan tertinggi UMNO tidak langgar perlembagaan parti
Sudah banyak kali dalam sejarah 77 tahun umur UMNO jawatan itu tidak dipertandingkan, kata Ahmad.
65 kes mati lemas direkod sejak 2020 - JBPM Kelantan
Kebanyakan kes kematian akibat lemas berlaku di sungai selain kawasan tali air, air terjun, pantai, tasik dan pembetungan.
Mahkamah tolak permohonan Zahid Hamidi dapatkan pasport
Selaras peruntukan undang-undang, mahkmah bertindak adil dan saksama kepada semua tertuduh.
Malaysia pengerusi mesyuarat Lembaga Eksekutif WHO buat pertama kali
Malaysia dilantik ahli Lembaga Eksekutif WHO mewakili rantau Pasifik Barat bagi tempoh tiga tahun bermula Mei 2021.
Ringkas SPUTNIK: Janji Putin kepada warga Rusia
Ikuti rangkuman 3 berita global terbaik dalam Sputniknews.com.
Donut 10 Sen | Kekalkan harga demi bantu golongan kurang mampu
Peningkatan harga barangan semasa tidak menjadi halangan buat pasangan suami isteri untuk meneruskan perniagaan donut yang dijual pada harga 10 sen sebiji. Menurut Idham Syafiq Darmilus, 35 tahun, dia memilih untuk mengekalkan harga tersebut bagi memastikan golongan kurang berkemampuan dapat merasai hidangan itu terutama ketika peningkatan kos sara hidup masa kini.
Jenayah | Polis tumpas geng curi kereta Wira di Kelantan
Tujuh individu berusia dari 26 hingga 58 tahun yang terbabit dalam kegiatan curi kenderaan, khususnya kereta Proton Wira dan pecah rumah berjaya ditahan dalam Operasi Lejang yang ditubuhkan polis Kelantan. Ketua Polis Kelantan, Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun berkata tangkapan itu dilakukan dalam serbuan di Kampung Machang Limbat dan Kampung Berhala Lima, Pasir Tumboh di antara 12.15 tengah malam hingga 4 pagi semalam.
Perikatan Nasional | Rundingan kerusi parti komonen untuk PRN minggu depan
Rundingan agihan kerusi antara parti komponen Perikatan Nasional (PN) dalam menghadapi Pilihan Raya Negeri (PRN) di enam buah negeri dijangka berlangsung minggu hadapan. Naib Presiden Pas Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar berkata perbincangan berkenaan akan diadakan pada 7 Februari ini di ibu negara.
Sukan SEA Kemboja: Gimnas negara berdepan acara terhad
Ia memadam peluang kem kebangsaan dalam usaha meraih pingat, apatah lagi dengan kehadiran juara dunia daripada Filipina, Carlos Yulo.
Police call off search for 'crashed' aircraft until they get fresh leads
Police have called off the search for a light aircraft believed to have crashed into the sea near Tanjung Bungah until they get fresh information on the incident.