Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the two pilots who lost their life in a military helicopter crash after being lost for 17 days.
The search team has found the chopper that went missing since July 12, 2024 and the two pilots, he said, adding that unfortunately, the pilots – Lt. Col. Sun Phalla and Lt. Kheng Chhay Yuth -were found dead in the incident.
‘This is a great loss for the nation and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces as a whole […]. I pray for their souls to rest in peace,’ he stressed.
At the same time, the leaders and members of the National Assembly of Cambodia also extended their sincere condolences, saying that this is a great loss of key human resources of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.
Both the government and the National Assembly took the opportunity to thank the search team and all stakeholders who have worked tirelessly to overcome all obstacles day and night with courage and perseverance to find the crash si
te. It has been a difficult and risky mission in the deep forest with the unfavourable weather conditions for the past 18 days.
The wreckage of the crashed helicopter along with the body of Lt. Kheng Chhay Yuth were located on July 29, while the body of Lt. Col. Sun Phalla was found this morning at around 10:30, about 210 metres from the crash site.
On July 12, 2024, a Z9 MH-912 military helicopter with two people – a captain and a pilot – on board lost contact with the Air Force Command in the Cardamom Mountains, in Pursat and Koh Kong provinces. The incident occurred during a training exercise and the flight is part of the Air Force’s regular training in the area.
Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse