A helicopter missing in eastern Malaysia was confirmed crashed Friday but the fate of six people on board, including a deputy minister, was unknown, media reports said.

    A search-and-rescue team found debris believed to be from the missing Eurocopter AS350 Friday morning near the Batang Lupar river, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak told a press conference in Kuching, the Sarawak state capital. The debris included a rotor blade, a floatation device, part of the helicopter body, a door and a seat, The Star daily reported. 

    The helicopter was reported to have disappeared from radar just 20 minutes after it left Betong for Kuching at 4.12 pm Thursday (0812 GMT). The weather was bad at the time of the trip in Sarawak, where flying is the best mode of transport given the lack of roads through the state's thick forests. The military were deployed to assist the police and fire and rescue department in the search.

Source: QNA