Agencies carry out drill on SAR for plane crash off Miri waters

MIRI (Oct 8): A private plane carrying eight people, including two crew members, crashed into the waters off Miri today.

Following the incident, a search and rescue (SAR) operation was launched to look for survivors.

However, it was later revealed that this was merely a re-enacted scenario used as part of the Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) Menaul Level 2 here, which concluded today.

Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak director First Admiral (Maritime) Kamal Ariffin Jusoh said this was the first exercise carried out by the agency involving a plane-crashing-at-sea scenario.

“According to the policy and mechanism of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), the SAR operation in this scenario would be led by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

“The MMEA would act as a supporting agency in conducting the SAR at sea alongside other agencies,” he said in a press conference after officiating at the closing of SAREX Menaul Level 2 here.

Kamal Ariffin said through such exercise, members of various agencies and departments would know their respective roles and responsibilities in the event of real-life incidents, also stressing that it was important to ensure that the SAR operations would be conducted successfully.

“This two-day exercise is meant to further strengthen the cooperation between MMEA and CAAM in both maritime and aeronautical coordination.

“Additionally, it is also meant to improve MMEA’s understanding and collaboration with other agencies, particularly in SAR operations,” said Kamal Ariffin.

A total of 160 participants from 25 private and government agencies took part in the SAREX Menaul Level 2.